By Bashir Ibrahim
The rising tension in some remote villages of Batsari, Kankara, Danmusa Dandume, Sabuwa and Faskari local government areas of Katsina State, is still sky-rocketing to an eerie peak where little or no hope is ensured for the safety of lives and property of these residents. It could be recalled that months earlier, Governor Masari had openly made an incendiary and politically amateurish utterances that his government failed to protect lives and property of its citizens. Such statetment is a self sardonic parody to the government and a bloody callousness ! who is to protect people if our own badly grafted government fails? Has our sun- bathed sweat wasted for nothing, or is government meant for only few elected and appointed officials and other party puppets not for citizens?
It is very unfortunate that innocent lives are still being robbed of their possession and their souls despite claims by the government of providing and deploying security personnel to such doomed communities . Recently, the bandits have kicked back their devilish and horrofic operations on some local communities, killing many, rustling cattle, kidnapping and burning houses incessantly. It was on monday, 6th of july,2020 that over 200 armed people stormed Yar Gamji village of Batasari local government in a broad morning light around 9:am, killing over 20 people mostly children and leaving scores with fatal injuries. This incessant attack happened on a day the army Chief was on tour in the state in celebration of 2020 Army day, a day “operation Sahel Sanity” was launched to bring lasting peace to the state and country in general. The question is that, where were the army when such deadly attack happened? Did they arrive when the scene was happening? Or “is operation Sahel Sanity” a mere military coded threnode to just celebrate an army remembrance day? When was security of lives turned to symbolic celebrations?
Similarly, there was an attack that happened in Gardawa village of Funtua local government in which four people were kidnapped and one person sustained a severe injury, but later 3 of the four kidnapped persons were released with no ransom. This attack occured 3 days to the flag off of the army remembrance day, and the village is a few kilometres away from Faskari local goverment headquater where the army camp based. I believe one who lives in Faskari could hear gun shots fired by the nihilistic bandits from that village, but no response at the time of incident from any security or in particular the army who were based few kilometres from the scene of the carnage!
The morning after the incident, I was passing by the village on my way to Faskari town for an interview in IDPs camp, but-as expected,not a single security agent is visible in the entire village. What I saw on my way was only mobile police officers who stopped us and threw the one and only irrelevant and brainless question to our driver who happens to be my uncle, asking him; “Can I see your driving license”? This awkward question by the officer really left me agape, enveloped in a roaring astonishment and simmering anger as to how on earth a police officer on patrol duty amid pervasive insecurity ends up asking such an unprofessional question ! Showing him the license, we were allowed to proceed not minding what we might be carrying in our car–whether weapons or prohibited drugs. My expected questions from a professional police officer are: From Where are you and where are you heading to, Can you open your boot, what is that in your boot, or who are these with you in the car ? Such are some of the few questions expected from an officer who is ready to ensure security of lives and property of the people. So, this is the kind of security personnel we have amidst this trying time.
It is egregiously unfortunate that there is still an outcry and agony in these communities.Many people are in difficult situation as large numbers are constantly on their toes, leaving their homes for safer places in nearby towns and other neighbouring states like Kano and Kaduna.It’s uspeakably tragic and unfortunate that bandits have remained active in many parts of the state, killing innocent people and throwing families into irreparable and endless trauma.
Many locals are still squatting in IDPs camps which are swarming with dejected people of all ages- including sick newborns and haggard pregnant mothers. The internally displaced persons are constantly gripped by fear as hot tears still becloud their visions, making some sort of painful pool around ! Such camps become an epicenter of assorted diseases and avoidable infections due to poor hygiene and acute malnutrition, with all the storied funds-guzzling IDPS feeding ‘programmes’. Nearly all the children suffer from measles, koshiakor, acute malnutrition, malaria fever due to mosquito bites, and there is inadequate or no drugs and injections for such diseases. For instance, an incident happened before my very eyes at Faskari IDPs camp when a child of aproximatley 4 years of age suffering from malaria fever was left unattended , because there was no anti-malarial drugs or injections then.This pathetic scene terribly shocked me and made me shed tears. So, even in the IDPs camp , the relevant authorities have failed to act proactively in bringing back some smile -even a wry one to the faces of such psychologically and socially shredded communities who now feel abandoned, neglected, trashed and betrayed by a government they queued hungry and inside scorching sun to vote into power.
The situation has worsened that the local communities can’t dare hope of going back to their villages soon and are afraid of farming this season.
In some of the villages, the bandits issue deadly and chillingly clear warning to farmers that if they ( farmers ) dare go to farms for any farming operation, that certainly is at the expense of their lives. This plus several threats make many local communities abandon their thousands of hecters of fertile land uncultivated for fear of being tortured, kidnapped or killed. Such fear has eaten deep into the feeble minds of most locals to an extreme degree that they give up on life as they once knew it, since their main source of income is taken away.
Some women and children become street beggars who wander around towns begging for food or clothes to cover their groins, while government and other related authorities are busy transacting a politically handled Corona Virus which becomes a lucrative market for the handlers. Similarly, some of our representatives too in National Assemblies keep mute on this hopeless insecurity challanges in the state, but busy sponsoring very irrelevant bills…… Imagine a senator sponsoring a bill on renaming federal University, Dutsinma, while his own people at his own constituency are being kidnapped, butchered, raped and slaughtered like festive sacrificial rams ! Are these National Assembly fellows really representing people or representing their own pockets to feather their own nests while a stream of blood is flowing in their backyard?
It is recalled that a month earlier some peaceful protesters mostly students and youth activists who came out to show their concern and to call the attention of government to take serious and proactive measures in stopping mass murders and bloodshed in the state, but ended up in police and DSS detention. It could also be recalled that on 5th May, one old Katsina man by the name Lawal Izala whose emotional trauma was triggered by killing of his relatives and stealing his only cows by bandits, nudged him to insult Mr. President and Governor Masari, was arrested and detained. This clearly shows how this clueless government respects outlaws and monstrous thugs more than its own peaceful and law-abiding citizens who cry in response to such torment and anguish . Is peaceful protest not enshrined in the constitution or is government too powerful to abide by the constitutional provisions? It is like government wants to hijack everything dictatorially and silence those voices of the masses for its own egoistic interests. And this is why peaceful protesters are muted by the government to allow her play alone in the field without opposition — ” Su ci karensu ba babbaka” as proverbially stated in Hausa.
The alarming rate in which innocent people are being kidnapped and killed is very disheartening, terrifying and sensilessly frightening. Thus, goverment needs to intensify efforts and double-click on the right button to bring and end to this banditry that is ravaging the state,north and Nigeria.Without securing lives and property of the citizens from bandits and other insurgents, no any achievement of this government could be recorded and register in the feeble minds of Katsina people,northerners and Nigerians in general. What ever government provides to its people could not be counted if it fails to protect lives and property of citizens as its primary function. What is government for, anyway?
In all, ending banditry, kidnapping, cattle rustling, and any other form of insurgency are the ” top priorities” in our country now, not cluelessly irrelevant debate in the Senate or fight between a learned minister and feather-brained National Assembly members over a temporary federal job recruitment, or a drama between a so called attorney and a suspended remote-controlled poodle EFCC boss who are all birds of same feather. Enough of banditry in Katsina, north and Nigeria in general !
Ibrahim writes from Katsina and can be reached through:
bibrahim527@gmail.com
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Sky Daily
