Following the persistent attacks of Dutsin-ma Local Government Area of Katsina state, for the record 29th time in the last one month by bandits, youths of the community have threatened to resort to self help to protect members of themselves and their community.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja, the spokesman of Dutsin-ma Youth Forum, Alh. Abu Abubakar Dutsin-ma, said residents were fleeing to neighbouring communities for safety as a result of incessant attacks.
He said the area had witnessed 29 cases of armed attack, kidnapping, and cattle rustling in the month of December 2019, and residents were living in palpable fear, as security agencies in the state appeared helpless.
According to him, “On December 8, 2019, Nasiru Ibrahim Dandanku was kidnapped at his residence in Dutsin-ma Town; on December 17, 2019, wife of one Malam Shamsuddeen Yusuf, his daughter, and her younger sister were kidnapped from his residence at Government Science Secondary School, Dutsin-ma; and on December 19, 2019, Alhaji Kanti Kagara was kidnapped at his resident in Kagara village.
“On December 19, 2019, Hajiya Zainab Zaria was kidnapped at Gida Mai Famfo, while on December 25, 2019, bandits attacked the people of Ruwan Dorowa village, and carted away their belongings, including 17 cows and many sheep.”
He listed other cases of bandits attacks to include”December 1, 2019, bandits attacked Alhaji Dan-Bello, a businessman in Dutsin-Mma and collected N6 million as ransom; December 28, 2019, bandits also attacked Farar-Kasa village where one Malam Mamman was gunned down at his residence; December 28, 2019, bandits attacked Jallawa village and took away many cows and sheep; while on December 27, 2019, Amina Usman was kidnapped at Bayan Gidan Rediyo Quarters, Dutsin-ma, and caused serious injuries to husband.”
The spokesman also said that on December 31, 2019, major parts of Dutsin-Ma was attacked by gunmen as they shoot sporadically to chase residents from their homes including traditional rulers.
“This ugly security threat is becoming worrisome and embarrassing because this is the home state of President Muhammadu Buhari, who is the chief security officer of the country. It is obvious that the situation is beyond the security agents attached to the state. Therefore, we are using this medium to call on the federal government to deploy more security to the area before it is too late. Mr. President should act now.”
They warned that if the federal government failed to intervene urgently they might resort to self defence, noting, however, that such move may further worsen the security challenges in the country.
Abubakar, who blamed the state government for the rise in the spate of crime in the state, maintained that the cease-fire deal reached with the bandits had not yielded any result.
He said, “It has become the order of the day to wake up to the news of kidnapping, killing and ransacking of a whole village by bandits that the government publicly claimed has reached an agreement with to lay down their arms and give peace a chance to rein.”
