Birnin Gwari is one of the Local Governments in Kaduna State which is endowed with both human and natural resources, most people residing there are farmers that cultivate crops in bulk for commercial purposes. For any place in the world to enjoy economic and social development, peace must reign, level of criminalities must be low and environment needs to be favorable for business to thrive. For years, insecurity ranging from kidnappings, mass killings, damaging crops at farms, cattle rustling, ethno-religious conflicts are some of the major threats in Birnin Gwari that impede speedy development and peaceful coexistence amongst the inhabitants.
For decades, Birnin Gwari has been known for cheap agricultural products because there is a farmer in every household, but nowadays even going there to buy foodstuff is like throwing oneself into the blazing fire. Despite availability of security agents, bandits carryout their attacks freely without been repelled; most villagers are now pointing fingers at securities that do nothing whenever they are alarmed about suspicious persons and activities in communities. People in Birnin Gwari are no longer sleeping with their eyes closed as bandits could come to kidnap at any time based on descriptions of targets by their community informants, anyone that tried to escape or refused to follow them is killed instantly.
Local vigilantes and civilian security outfits are really trying in repelling attacks of bandits and sometimes chase them away but the problem is that their locally-made weapons often give-in for the superior fire power of bandits. Birnin Gwari depends largely on vigilante groups because of inadequate security personnel and whenever vigilantes overpower and killed some bandits, they immediately withdraw but later come back to avenge their fellows; more securities therefore need to be on alert and arrive at scenes on time. Persistent activities of bandits have forced most residents relocated to other places; that internal migration paralyzed the farming and other business activities.
For Birnin Gwari to regain its lost peace there is need for all to put aside their religious, ethnic and other differences and help security forces through exposing criminals amongst them; security forces on their parts should protect anyone that volunteers to do whistleblowing on bad eggs. Both Kaduna and the Federal government should double their efforts in increasing number of security forces in troubled areas; local vigilantes should be provided with sophisticated weapons to flush and eliminate more bandits because they know the terrain more than government’s forces. Legal system is needed to ensure that anyone arrested on banditry crime is punished severely. After getting information, the tactics used by former Chief of Army Staff, Late Ibrahim Attahiru is important and need to be re-applied by our sagacious General Faruk Yahaya.
Mukhtar Garba Kobi
Writes from Bauchi State.
