Bandits In ‘Helicopter’ Shoot, Kill Over 32 In Kaduna …Overtake Farmlands, Demand Levies From Villagers In Zamfara

In Kaduna State, about 32 locals were killed by bandits in separate attacks on four communities in Kajuru Local Government Area of the state.

Journalists were told, yesterday, that the gunmen attacked UngwanGamu, DogonNoma, UngwanSarki and Maikori in Southern Kaduna.

The District Head of Kufena, Titus Dauda, said the gunmen attacked the communities on Sunday killing 32 people.

He said a church and many houses were burnt by the hoodlums.

According to him, “the bandits first attacked DogonNoma in the early hours of Sunday, and killed many people mostly men, before proceeding to UngwanGamu and Maikori villages where they also killed people and burnt down houses.

“The victims have been laid to rest while the affected communities have been deserted by the residents due to fear of being attacked.”

Some locals claimed a helicopter was seen shooting at the residents from the air, while the remaining bandits were on the ground to attack any fleeing residents, which was countered by a security agent.

He said under anonymity that the military engaged the bandits both by ground and air, which eventually forced the bandits to retreat.

The police were yet to react on the incident.

Similarly, many community members in Dansadau emirate of Zamfara State have lamented that they do not have access to their farms as bandits have taken over their lands.

According to some of the villagers, who spoke with newsmen, they had to pay levies for the bandits to allow them to cultivate their farms, especially during this year’s rainy season.

“Some villages had to pay N20million as a levy, the bandits were even demanding free access to the farms after its cultivation”.

Dansadau axis had been a colony of banditry before the bandits overtook every part of the state.

Kuyabana forest is one of the forests in the Dansadau Emirate where bandits have their camps and hideouts, from where they move to nearby villages to unleash terror attacks on innocent citizens of the state.

Most of the communities have embarked on fervent prayers to seek divine intervention, even as they urged the federal and Zamfara State governments to demonstrate enough political will to tackle the menace that has been ravaging the axis for over a decade.

A resident of the area and a farmer,Mohammed Dansadau, said the spate of killings, kidnappings and cattle rustling has escalated in the troubled area.

Dansadau appealed to the authorities to address the unfortunate development to save the souls of the residents from the constant insecurity in the area.

“The farmers can no longer engage in their farming activities due to constant operations of the bandits in the Dansadau axis. So, we want the federal and Zamfara State governments to take proactive steps, to enable residents go about their legitimate endeavours”.

However, the state police authority could not be reached as the two lines of the state’s police Spokesman, SP Mohammed Shehu, was switched off following many attempts.