Terrorists and bandits in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Northwest Nigeria, are now demanding cooked food as ransom for kidnapped victims amid biting hunger unleashed on them by the new measures imposed by the State government to curb their activities.
The hanger was exacerbated more since the Kaduna State Government banned weekly markets as part of measures to tackle insecurity. They used to raid the markets for food and sometimes but from the markets.
A youth leader in one of the villages of Birnin Gwari, Babangida Yaro, said that since the ban on weekly markets, the terrorists and bandits operating along Damari, Kutemashi and Kuyello villages now only ask for cooked food each time they abduct people.
According to him, the ban on sale of fuel in filling stations located in rural communities had also helped to restrict their movement.
“There is relative peace around Damari, kuyello, Kutemashi because the bandits have stopped attacking our communities. They usually stay in the forest and seize food items mostly cooked ones from vendors,” he said.
He added that when they abducted two or three persons in farms, one is allowed to go and get them food from their relatives as ransom since there is no communication network to make contact.
The youth leader added that Dogon Dawa area is still not completely safe because villagers are still scared of accessing their farmlands.
Babangida also lamented that the ban on use of private Motorcycles in the villages had increased hardship on the bandits as well as residents.
Originally published in Daily Trust