When rape, drug, theft pitched elders against youths in Kebbi community
The sleepy community of Zauro in Birnin Kebbi Local Government Area of Kebbi State was some weeks ago engulfed in a crisis between elders and youths. The crisis was erupted as a result of alleged increasing cases of rape, theft, drug abuse and other social vices which the elders blamed on the youths.
Zauro town is known for the political exploits of one of its elders, Alhaji Sani Kukuma Zauro (Zanna Gwandu), its strategic location, a few distance from Birnin Kebbi, the Kebbi State capital, and the relative peace and harmony enjoyed by its residents.
However, in recent times, the community has been in the news, not for the political exploits of its elders or its other good attributes, but for cases bothering on rape, theft, drug abuse and other social vices.
The crimes being perpetrated in the community took a new dimension a few weeks ago when the police arrested a man who forcefully raped a boy. Unfortunately, the boy did not survive the harrowing experience, as he died few hours later the same day he was sexually molested. He was said to have developed a strange illness which caused him to stool and vomit excessively till he died.
Similarly, just few weeks after the raped boy’s issue, a girl was raped by another youth. She was said to be on an errand when she was intercepted and raped by a boy said to be very popular in the community.
About two weeks ago, another girl was also reported to have been raped by yet to be identified youths.
Given the dangerous trend which crime rate is taking, the elders of Zauro met at the palace of the district head to deliberate on how to address the situation. However, some youths disrupted the meeting and chased the elders away.
Eleven of the youths were arrested by the police when they started throwing stones at the palace of the district head.
The 11 youths were arraigned in a Sharia court sitting in Nassarawa area of Birnin Kebbi some weeks ago. The judge remanded them for allegedly disrupting the peace of the community.
A police witness, Inspector Ishaka Abdullahi, who heads the police unit in Zauro, while testifying before the court, said when the community leaders were holding a meeting at the district head’s palace, the youths tried to force their way into the venue but were stopped by the police. He said they used stones, broken bottles and any available object to damage police vehicles.
Maisamari said, “We were only holding a meeting on how to enact laws to instill discipline and curb the crimes being perpetrated in our community. They sent a letter warning us that whatever decision we took would not be binding on the youths.”
A Corporal, Faruk Muhammad, who represented the police in court, said the 11 youths were being charged for conspiracy, inciting disturbances and obstruction of public peace which were punishable under Sections 97, 113 and 149 of the Penal Code.
However, lawyer to the 11 youths, Barrister Ahmad Zumaru, faulted the steps taken by the Zauro elders, saying it was not in line with the law.
Barrister Zumaru said, “They did not follow due process in enacting the law because they did not go through the local government, and the police did not do what was right: aiding the community against the youths.”
When our correspondent ran into one of the elders, Alhaji Sani Kukuma Zauro (Zanna Gwandu), in the premises of the court, he swore that they would never relent as elders to flush out the bad eggs in the town.
He said, “Over the years we were known to have lived in peace in Zauro. Some of the things happening now were not known to be part of us, and we will do everything possible to address them. We don’t care about whoever is involved; we will go to as far as we have gone now to bring anyone caught trying to jeopardise the peace of our community to face the wrath of the law; even if that person is my family member or in-law.”