Attacks on rural communities in Zamfara State, Northwest Nigeria had taken another dimension as the hoodlums now concentrate on raping married women and girls in their family homes.
The bandits have also killed locals and committed other obnoxious crimes in Kalgon Kunci village of Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State, according to a local who craved anonymity.
However, the spokesperson to the Zamfara State Governor, Suleiman Bala Idris, reacted to the claim in an interview in Hausa, saying it was a sad incident and the state government was taking the right steps to end it.
The local, speaking in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service monitored in Kaduna, alleged that the situation had made 70% of the villagers relocate to other places.
According to him, “Previously, the bandits would come to our community, humiliate us, rustle our animals, and abduct people for ransom. Now, however, they would come in broad daylight and remain till midnight.
“They would be dressed in uniform carrying weapons. I swear it has reached a level where they would enter any house they like and rape women. If a woman resisted, they would abduct her, do whatever they want with her in the bush and bring her back after 2,3 or 4 days,” he alleged.
He said for over 10 years, no single policeman had been deployed to the area, a situation that allowed the bandits to humiliate members of the community.
“We are now under the control of these bandits. During the harvest season, they asked us to give them N15 million before we would harvest our farm produce. All households contributed and we gave them the money. Three days after, they stopped us from harvesting and set our farm produce on fire,” he lamented.
He alleged that they cried so that the authorities would come to their aid but to no avail. ” This has forced the majority of our people to migrate,” he added.
“Whoever has a place to run to, has left. People are leaving Kuncin Kalgo on daily basis,” he said.
The Zamfara State Government, according to the report, was taking the appropriate step towards putting an end to the menace.
Sulaiman BalaIdris, spokesperson of the Governor; said “The situation is worrisome and government is taking the right step to bring an end to it.
“Not only in that community but to bring a lasting end to this crisis by Almighty Allah’s grace,” he assured.
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