Birnin Gwari turning to den of criminals

Birnin Gwari is one of the local government areas 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 the environment needs to be favourable 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 among the inhabitants. F

For decades, Birnin Gwari has been known for cheap agricultural produce because there are farmers in every household. But now, even going there to buy foodstuff is like throwing oneself into the blazing fire. Despite availability of security agents, bandits carry out their attacks freely without being repelled. Most villagers are now pointing fingers at security agents that do nothing whenever they are alerted about suspicious persons and activities in communities. People in Birnin Gwari are no longer sleeping with their two eyes closed as bandits could come to kidnap based on descriptions of targets by their community informants, anyone that tries to escape or refuses 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 the bandits.

Birnin Gwari depends largely on vigilante groups because of inadequate security personnel and whenever vigilantes overpower and kill some bandits, they immediately withdraw but later come back to take  vengeance. Therefore, more security agents need to be on alert and arrive at scenes on time. Persistent activities of bandits have forced most residents to relocate to other places. This internal migration has paralysed 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 securities through exposing criminals among them. Security agents should, on their part, protect anyone that volunteers to whistle blow bad eggs. Both Kaduna and the federal governments should redouble their efforts in increasing number of security agents in troubled areas. Local vigilantes should be provided with sophisticated weapons to flush out and eliminate more bandits because they know the terrain more than government forces. The legal system needs to ensure that anyone arrested on banditry crime is penalised 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,
Bauchi, Bauchi state.