NASIR DAMBATTA was in all of the12 predominantly cattle-breeders communities being terrorized by unknown gunmen for months and how intense the attacks have been in recent weeks. The findings reveal the agony, tension, grief and the attendant costs to the economy and stability of the cattle-breeder communities and how these combined to hold these Nigerian border communities to ransom in recent days
“A lot is at stake here. We have lost our conjugal rights as husbands because our wives now sleep elsewhere for fear of killings and rape”, Aminu Modibbo Garba Said in a tone that betrayed subdued anger. Garba, like many of the men living in the 12 villages in Katsina State, is grappling with the horrendous attacks by unknown gunmen. He lives in Gidan Dan-indo, a village some 50 kilometers from the state capital.
It has been an atmosphere of multiple tragedies as the 12 settlements, populated by Fulani cattle- breeders, are now in a state of siege; they no longer lose cattle but also their young men, girls and women to blood-thirsty bandits.
Investigations revealed that there is only one village that presently enjoys a form of immunity from the attacks and it is known as Shimfida. This village, for not-so-clear reasons, has been spared of the reported attacks by the armed bandits. One elderly man, known as Baba Ali guessed however, that Shimfida could be the operational base of the attackers. Some other respondents however, believe that the people of Shimfida village are mostly religious scholars and one respondent, Alaramma Abubakar added: “Don’t underrate the power of prayers”.
When this reporter was driving out of Tsayau village, a resident was riding this motorcycle– loaded with what seemed to be his family’s personal belongings – apparently relocating to someplace else. He sped off through the narrow bushes, when this reporter slowed down to have a word with him, apparently out of distrust for strangers.
One of the worst hit villages is Tagwaye village, where a traditional ruler said they lost 15 lives to the repeated attacks and nearly 600 cows. In Tagwaye, he said, keeping sealed lips over the attacks is the beginning of wisdom. Two people, according to the monarch were among the 15 people killed, for openly condemning the attacks.
An old Fulani man whose home was also raided in Gurbi village said he went into hiding with this entire family inside the bush, when the community leaders were called on their cell phones by the bandits ahead of a late night attack. “I was standing by the Gurbi Jumaat mosque, where a traditional ruler and a close friend showed me the mobile phone number of the criminals and the exact hour they called him. You see, they simply call to inform us ahead of time that they were coming to rob us and rustle our cows” the old man said in-between tears.
When contacted, the District Head of Jibia and Sarkin Arewan Katsina, Alhaji Muhammad Rabiu Rabe told Blueprint that the situation has reached alarming proportion in recent weeks because of frequent loss of lives. He attributed the development to the security agents’ operations in Birnin Gwari and lately Zamfara state, saying these armed bandits are remnants of the flushed rustlers from those areas that were now re-grouping. Blueprint learnt that the attackers have been operating from bases 15 kilometres away from their target communities. A source also said the main operational base of the gunmen is now “approximately 70 kilometres away from the Katsina state seat of power, and it is obvious that they have informants in all the villages”
Blueprint discovered that fear of attack has gripped all of the 12 villages and many of the houses have consequently been deserted by their owners. The cases of rape against young girls has become commonplace in the event of any attack. There were reported cases of married Fulani women being freed a few days after their abduction and rape. To the dismay of some families, a number of abducted married women were yet to return as at press time.
The villagers of Tsayau, Gurbin Baure, Tagwaye and Farfara are in a state of siege. In league with these villages are Garin Mai wuya, Tsambaye ( five Fulani communities,) Garin Gado, Kabarawa, Jabiyawa, Garin Magaji Abu; Farun Maje and Lankwasau. The people in all these villages are having a crisis of confidence in the ability of law enforcement agencies to rescue them, Blueprint findings reveal.
For these 12 villages, the challenges of potable drinking water and electricity supply have been dwarfed by cattle-rustling, maiming, killings and rape incidents. Before now, the rustlers were using an isolated building in the middle of a bush, less than two kilometers after Magama. It was gathered that that base has been dislodged by security agents but the criminals now disappear into the bush with their loot thereby sealing the hopes of any of their victim.
A situation of siege mentality has now enveloped the 12 communities and it will take a serious effort by the security agents to reverse this ugly situation. For now lot of lives have been lost, cows rustled, tranquility in the community is slowly fading and even matrimonial stability is shaken. The police insist they are doing enough to reduce the problem to the barest minimum. Some communities believe the police claim, yet some doubt it. In this long-winding security breach, the biggest casualty could be truth and innocence.
