The Ansaru terrorist group has taken over Birnin Gwari recruiting and indoctrinating youth in the area, while laying down rules including banning political activities, the Birnin Gwari Emirate Progressives’ Union has said in a report.
The report signed by BEPU Chairman, Ishaq Usman Kasai, on Sunday said the terrorist group is growing stronger in the Birnin Gwari area and has taken control of the area, hence the need for government to rout them out and take back leadership of the Birnin Gwari area and environs. The report lampooned government for neglecting the area, adding that it’s time to act.
According to the report, the Ansaru terrorist group has banned political activities in many communities in the eastern part of Birnin Gwari Local Government Area which consist of eight out of the 11 wards.
“The group continues to gain strength in the area whereby locals particularly the youth are being recruited. Infact the group continue to gain acceptance from many members of the communities particularly in Old Kuyello and Damari of Kazage Ward.
“This week, two members of the group were engaged for wedding with two girls and will be tying the nuptial knots by the coming Saturday. The Ansaru (grooms) laid down some rules to the in-laws for the wedding. They ruled that, after the wedding, they will take the brides to the forests and live there with them and do not want the bride’s to go along with any furniture except plates (coolers) and mattresses because anything other than that is not in tandem with their beliefs and convictions.
“The locals who have joined the group are afraid to live in the town because of the fear they could be arrested by the police or security agencies. The clarion call among the newly recruits, is for the establishment of an Islamic state. The Ansaru and the new recruits are of the belief that their numerical strength will help them to bring the present democratic government down. Presently, the Ansaru are going round distributing memory cards to the locals which contains their beliefs and doctrine.
“A disturbing scenario is where the group banned all political activities in many communities such as Damari of Kazage ward. Politicians from these communities have to go far away secretly to the neighboring communities before they hold political meetings. This week an Okada rider who lives in Ungwan Makera of Kazage ward, was seen with a sticker of one of the candidates vying for the Kaduna State House of Assembly and he was thoroughly beaten by the Ansaru.
“People in these communities are now disenchanted and frustrated about participating in political activities. We don’t know how the coming elections will take place in those areas because even the last local government election did not hold in the area due to the escalating insecurity which made the election results to be declared inconclusive and a Sole Administrator was appointed to oversee the affairs of the local government up to now.
“The Ansaru are now in charge of many of the communities in the area and the group is expanding it’s occupation. They now call the shots and determine what is to be done in the villages they are dominating.Those among the locals who are interested in joining the group are increasing. Those who have joined already used to come back to the communities and take those interested to the forests to spend days for indoctrination. When they come back, they usually narrate that the Ansaru members used to tell them to join them to fight government and democracy in order to install Islamic state.
“We are disturbed that despite the worrisome development, no meaningful response from authorities. Even recently when our people were attacked and eight cars were burnt and scores of our people were kidnapped on Birnin Gwari to Kaduna Road, nothing has been done by the government. Government has never acknowledge the incident or sympathize with our community. Our communities are being attacked, people kidnapped and killed daily without a response, acknowledgement or report from government.
“We call on government to please organize a coordinated security operation both aerial and ground to the hideouts of these criminals in our forests in order to flush them and stop daily killings of our people by the unchallenged terrorists groups surrounding our communities,” Kasai said.
