Rising Tide of Insecurity in Katsina: A Downside Story! -By Ismail Misbahu

It says that “No one knows caution like regret” ~ African proverb ~.

I wish, and I pray that those who usher, say or command, and those who listen, follow and act by killing, raping, kidnapping and robbing innocent citizens in the penultimate 2020, have gotten it right to regret by this year, 2021.

The general norm in the global society is that when a new year comes, people take decisions about their future possible resolutions. Some would prefer to quit smoking and reduce addiction in drugs while others may abscond from gambling and taking alcohol. But fundamentally also new year Resolution should, as expected, include quitting crime and its collateral anti-social activities. However, this was not so much the case in many places in Nigeria. The penultimate year 2020, was never a regret and, by all indications, it has not been regretting! Many of these resolutions are mere wishes that are not accompanied by a sincere, true and rigorous soul-searching, introspection and self-reflection. Worse that the killings and kidnappings that symbolize the wary state of the nation are not even part of these wishful resolutions should we be thinking of their possible renouncement!

These acts are relentlessly continued, and families are forced to migrate away to zones of considerable safety! Houses, markets and farmlands are becoming more empty than usual. Never had a year like that been so bad to so many nations across the globe. Notwithstanding the challenge of the global pandemic, most of the penultimate year’s travails were artificial and on no account must they be repeated this year! Should the innocent citizens then say that the year 2020 has already been inherited? Never pray for 2021, shall we?

Today on Futua—Dandume road, my study begins from the village of Mahuta to Kadawan-gangare—Ilalla—and—Dandume. It’s the distance of about 30 kilometers or less. It was Saturday, 2nd January, 2021 — the big market day for Dandume. Along this line, a protest was organized by youths — mostly residents of these villages. The lightening flames of fire were the symbol of the protest, and its waves were not only fanning the spirit of the protest but also were accompanied by resounding uproar! Local marketers coming from Funtua and its environs: Bakori, Faskari — Daudawa, Yankara, Sheme, as well as from nearby villages along the Funtua—Dandume road i.e. Maigamji, Mahuta, Gyazama etc were blocked of their way to the market. That Saturday was only the name of the market day for Dandume but buying and selling, as well as other activities did not fully take place.

The picture from which you can see me in the middle above, is an evidence of my reported travelogue to various villages along Funtua—Dandume—Sabua (southern Katsina) axis. The old person in the picture is Mal. Nuhu Magaji, and the young man, is Mal. Suleiman Muhammad who was shot by the bandits that intruded his house two days before the protest. Both of them are village heads (Masu unguwanni) of Kadawa “B” and “A” respectively. It was an interesting interactive discourse as there were other important personalities sitting with us altogether.

In the course of my interviews, it was aggregated to me that, prior to the day of the protest i.e. on the penultimate December, 30/31 2020, gangs of bandits holding AK-47 riffles had reappeared and they attacked many of the surrounding villages, maimed and kidnapped innocent people as well as destroyed and stole properties. While making inquiries as to what the bandits might have demanded from the people, responses from many had it that once they appear, they don’t seem to listen to anybody! They kill and kidnap — only after which their demand should come to bargain through the payment of expending ransom! These re-occurrences of killings, kidnapping and destruction of properties always set to recall the past horrific memories usually with furious reactions — one of which is this protest that was organized on Saturday, 2nd January, of the new year, 2021.

Reports from the meetings organized by youths under the elderly care of the various village heads in Mahuta—Gyazama—Kadawa—(comprising Kadawar Ibran, Kadawar Hayin Gabas), Ilalla (and Ilallar gangare), Dantankari—Maikwama—Madobi and Unguwar-Salla—Nasarawa etc — that constitute the eastern Dandume, revealed that about 90% of the bandits in the labour of this heinous crimes are Fulani. The remaining 10% are the scurrilous informers whose mischief acts seem even more dangerous than those of the former. “A single informer I was told, ” is an invitation to hundred criminal bandits”! Though an informer may be an insider whose identity is yet to be known, a considerable number of these criminals lives side-by-side with the local population. The confession of the village population has ascertained their knowledge perfection as regards the identity of these perpetrators — their living environs and even their associates! Some of my informants claimed that most of these criminals are known — many of which lived with them, eat together and even entered their houses for years. Some of them were old school friends but they run away from, and keep watching on them. It is no longer a ‘friend with clean hand’ but a ‘foe with robbing mind’. Beyond any informer, most of these criminals know their whereabout — their inward and outward movements, their activities and so on.

The sincere worry of the local people is that they shouldn’t have desired to acquire and hold weapons for protection except for the fact that the unguarded pronouncements of these criminals always not worth it. The criminals’ arrogance and pompous style of pronouncement sounds so disgusting that they could even burst to tell the village population their activities are rewarding and they’re with the government! This insinuations may be fact-proven given the dangerous weapons the bandits are holding, and more importantly given the alleged security involvement in worsening the security situation of these areas. The alleged Police dereliction, brutality and looting has reaffirmed the belief that the security agencies are part of the prolonged insecurity saga in the country as most of them are largely accused to have gotten their fat only from the exploitation of the security situations across the country. Their primary assignment to protect lives and properties as well as safeguard right and dignity of citizens has reduced to mere fictional note on paper. Their flippancy also tells a lot of their ‘run-run’ patrol and ‘boyish’ operation.

Notwithstanding the facts that most of these mobile Police lacked proper arms and ammunitions, their pronounced denial of the local population does not guarantee safety at all. In as much as the security personnel are found in the criminal scenes to sabotaging public effort, exploiting local marketers, looting and brutal operation against public properties, their peevish claims to falling short of weapons and financial support could not be of any meaning. My encounter with one Fulani lady on my way back from Dandume to Funtua was an interesting adjunct right here. Of the issues raised in the course of our interview, she told me that she was kidnapped three times but got released only after her uncle paid huge ransom. To her, the question of killings, looting and kidnappings couldn’t solely lay with the Fulani. To her, it should be better pronounced as the general question of insecurity regardless of whether her kidnappers are Fulani or not. She sufficed it that her uncle, whom she proved innocent, was often times a victim of police brutality and looting. She confessed that many times Police comes to their areas purporting to reach a peaceful agreement with some of their people, yet unfortunately, most of them ended up lynching their men and dragging their cattle away to market!

Whatever the taste of this narration, the attitudes of the security personnel in these areas do not help matters, and the menace largely caused by the Fulani in these areas, has certainly gone beyond reason. In a complaint letter addressed to concerned stakeholders on the security situation in these areas, the coalition of the people of eastern Dandume expressed their sorry state of minds and have taken it heart-and-blood to avenge what their humanity could not survive with as barbaric and animalistic. It is accumulated in this letter which was drafted in Hausa language, that of the killings in these areas:

“Dantankari village had 8 people killed, 16 kidnapped and 9 wounded. In Ilalla, four children claimed to belong to Alh. Kabiru’s family were kidnapped and their properties were destroyed and looted. This was followed by the kidnapping of 10 other people in the enclosed village of Ilallar gangare. In Maikwama, 4 people were killed and women were molested as well as properties were destroyed. Likewise in the enclosed village of Maikwamar gingiya, 3 people were killed and 1 kidnapped. In Kadawa, 18 people were kidnapped and 2 wounded, while properties were looted and destroyed. Similarly in the enclosed neighborhood of Kadawar Ibran, 5 people were killed and 4 women were kidnapped. The same in Kadawar Hayin Gabas and Kadawar Mai Aradu where 1 Person was kidnapped and 1 other was molested as well as properties were also destroyed.

“In the village of Madobi, 8 people were kidnapped, a pregnant woman was also killed and her husband got beaten and injured! In Unguwar Salla, 4 people were kidnapped, while in Gyazaman bare-bari, 8 people were kidnapped and wealth was stolen, as well as properties were destroyed. In Mahuta, 1 person was killed and 5 others were kidnapped. Similarly in Nasarawa, 6 people were kidnapped, while in Jiruwa, 12 people were kidnapped and 1 other was killed. In Unguwar Chibauna, 1 person was killed and 6 others were kidnapped. Lastly but not finally, in Unguwar Baraje, 1 person was killed and wealth was stolen, as well as properties were looted.”

Unfortunately this letter was not dated though, it still suggests that similar incidents most likely have reoccurred after it was written. And notwithstanding the fact that some of the people kidnapped were reportedly released, these were the past recollections that triggered the new year protest of last week, Saturday, 2nd January, 2021. People are tired of living desperately in the midst of fear and anxiety. Those who have the means to secure land and (or rent) houses in Funtua, Bakori and even as far as Kano have fled away. These are people who are mostly the rich living in most of these villages — each of which could have 50 labourers working under him. Their leaving away from these areas has an adverse effect on the growing socio-economic insecurity in these areas. The mass hapless poor who have no where to go are still living the nightmare of their diurnal and nocturnal horrors.

To display their wickedness and call to notice of their seemingly unstoppable acts of terror, the bandits took their calvary to nearby Sabuwa, kidnapped 8 people in Kaya village, burnt and looted properties, and like heedless riders, moved farther southward and disappeared in the bush!

Why must these people be attacked, killed, kidnapped and forced to migrate from their areas they only know and lived for hundred of years? Aren’t they worth living? Why must they even request for security protection, aren’t they worth life? These people are not asking government to give them money or build shelter for them. They are simply asking for sincere and responsible security intervention. They’re only asking for the rescue of their kidnapped children who had their legs chained and their hands roped-rounded like the slaves of the 16th century! If they only ask for money, they do so for the huge ransom they couldn’t offer. They’re citizens like any other, and their killings, kidnapping and raping of their wives and daughters couldn’t have escaped media reporting; could not have buried as if it did not take place. It must be dearly documented and must be historically accounted for.

It says that he who distracts the comfort of people will forever live with great discomfort; and he who eats human flesh will forever remain zombie, a robot, never a human being! The word is enough for the wise.

Ismail Misbahu writes via:
ismailmusbahu15@gmail.com