Kaduna Bandits Threaten Katsina Communities, Forcing them to Negotiate

•Release 1,000 hostages, hold 60 in captivity 

•Council chair reject peace deal

•Lawmaker laments increase of banditry in constituency

Francis Sardauna in Katsina and Laleye Dipo in Minna

Fleeing bandits from Kaduna State have been threatening communities in Sabuwa Local Government Area of Katsina State to negotiate with them or face severe attacks that might cripple farming activities in the area.

Chairman of the council, Hon. Faruk Ayatu, who revealed this in an interview with journalists, said the hoodlums had written letters to communities in the local government seeking rapprochement with them.

In the letters, he said, the marauding bandits who had brokered peace with Kaduna State government, were threatening to halt farming activities in Sabuwa communities this year if their inhabitants failed to negotiate with them.

He added that the hoodlums needed the rapprochement with the undisclosed communities before they could release 60 kidnapped victims in their custody and spelt out conditions for peace in the communities.

Rejecting the negotiation offered by the bandits, Ayatu said efforts were ongoing by security agencies, including military, police, and members of the Katsina Community Watch Corps and the government to secure their freedom.

“The bandits have sent letters and messages to communities in Sabuwa, threatening to stop this year’s farming activities. As chairman of the local government, I will not sit on a roundtable with these criminals in the name of negotiation.

“When they noticed that negotiation will not hold between us, they changed their pattern of operations with intense attacks and abductions. Currently, there are 30 to 60 people from different communities in their custody,” he said.

The local government chairman explained that the threat by the bandits would not deter the state government and security agencies from eliminating them for sustainable peace and development to thrive.

He, however, said the daredevils had released over 1,000 kidnapped victims, who were abducted in various communities across the state, insisting that despite the release of the captives, his administration would not negotiate with them.

He noted that ransom was paid for the release of some of the kidnapped victims, while some were released as a result of blistering security operations in villages across the local government.

Ayatu said despite the nefarious activities of the bandits in the local government, the state government had initiated and implemented numerous development projects in the area.

In another development, a member of the Niger State House of Assembly, Zubairu Ismail Zanna, has raised the alarm over an increase in banditry in his area.

Moving a motion of urgent public importance, the member representing Rafi state constituency, claimed that no fewer than 120 members of his constituency including women and children were abducted by gunmen in January this year.

In addition, the lawmaker who was almost in tears, submitted that six people were killed as they were trying to escape the assault of the bandits.

“All these attacks happened between January 12th and 27ththis year. These communities come under series of attacks from bandits and kidnappers almost intermittently,” Zanna lamented.