How bandits turned Birnin Gwari communities to ghost towns
Malama Fatima Randagi was shedding tears when she narrated how she and her 11 children joined other family members to escape a deadly assault on Randagi village last week when armed bandits attacked and killed residents. “We trekked for hours at night from Randagi to Gagumi with my 11 children and other women from the village.
“It was a terrible experience, we left our foodstuff, animals and other belongings to escape,” she said.
Fatima, a resident of Randagi village who is now taking refuge at a relation’s home in Birnin Gwari town said they trekked for two days on foot to reach safety.
In an attempt to escape the same attack, ex- correctional officer, Muhammadu Gagare had lost his three children while two of his wives and four children were abducted. Gagare told our correspondent that his wives and children are still with the bandits who are demanding for N20 million as ransom. “They knew my three children were killed and yet they are calling to demand for N20-million as ransom,” he said.
Arewa Trust Weekly reports that since the attack last week, Randagi and surrounding communities have become ghost towns as residents have fled for safer communities such as Birnin Gwari town, Dogon
Dawa and Zaria city. Shehu Muktar told our correspondent that the communities around the Randagi and Unguwar Gajere axis include Ukuru, Galma and Wamba villages with approximately 40,000 people have now been deserted.
“As we speak, there are 27 people mostly women and children living in my house in Birnin Gwari,’’ said Shehu Muktar.
He appealed to the state government to deploy more security personnel to the area to tackle the bandits adding that the presence of the soldiers or other security agencies will encourage residents to return to their homes.
Another resident told our correspondent that his two wives, 13 children and his aged parents are presently taking refuge with his relatives in Birnin Gwari after fleeing the community.
“About 20 of us fled Randagi because there was no food and everyone was leaving for fear that the bandits may return,” he said.
The councillor representing the area, Yahaya Adamu Dawakin Basa confirmed the development but said normalcy was gradually returning to the area even though there is a lot of fear among the people.
“I shed tears when I saw our people leaving their homes in numbers, especially the women and children,” he said. He said because a few soldiers deployed to the area had spent a night at the village, it gave some of the residents the courage to return briefly to assess the level of damage done to their homes.
Kaduna State government has explained that measures have been taken to protect the citizens and secure the villages around the area from bandit attacks.
The Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan had stated that air missions have been carried out on several communities and adjoining settlements saying bandits were sighted at different locations within Unguwar Gajere where 10 persons were recently killed.
He said several bandits have been neutralised.