National Telescope national telescope newspaper
Residents of the Giwa local government area in Kaduna State, represented by the Kaya Descendants Community Development Association (KDCDA), have urgently called on the local government chairman to address the escalating bandit activities in their region.
In a letter dated May 28, 2024, the villagers reported that bandits frequently kidnap residents and demand “taxes” to allow them to farm.
The association’s chairman, Alhaji Ibrahim Balarabe Musa, appealed to the chairman to address the persistent attacks on their village.
The letter, made public in Zaria on Monday, highlighted the challenges faced by farmers in Kaya and surrounding areas, who are being forced to meet the bandits’ conditions to farm.
The letter states, “With due respect and humility, we of the above-named association humbly make this statement on issues of farming in Kaya and its surroundings.
“It is seriously facing great challenges and obstacles, as certain conditions have been given by the bandits for every farmer to meet to be able to farm.
“Every farmer has to pay tax to the bandits before farming, and by the middle of the farming season, they are being chased away from their farmlands or even harassed and kidnapped even after paying the tax.”
The association also lamented that the situation remains dire even during the harvest season, as bandits arbitrarily destroy their crops by setting them ablaze, leaving the farmers with nothing to show for their hard work and efforts.
“Our families are facing dangerous distractions in the course of going to daily activities in the area, and our children are no longer going to school for fear of being kidnapped.
“It is in view of the foregoing that we crave the indulgence of the chairman of Giwa Local Government and other top officials of the state at the national level to institute an investigation in order to bring an end to the incessant harassment or attack on our community.”
The villagers’ plea underscores the urgent need for intervention to ensure their safety and enable them to continue their farming activities without fear.
The ongoing banditry has not only disrupted their livelihoods but also severely impacted their daily lives and the education of their children.
As the situation continues to deteriorate, the residents of Giwa are looking to their local and state leaders for immediate and effective action to restore peace and security in their community.
