Last Friday, Alhaji Usman Gigyara, the ward head of Gigyara in Duguri District of Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State, was kidnapped by gun-wielding terrorists locally known as bandits.
The terrorist, a local in the community told WikkiTimes, stormed the monarch’s house in the wee hours of Friday and took him away. They later contacted the family and demanded a N20 million ransom.
“This was the second time the ward head would be kidnapped,” the local recalled. “Two years ago, bandits abducted the monarch and later set him free after pocketing N6 million ransom.”
Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, spokesman for Bauchi Police Command could not immediately respond to WikkiTimes‘ enquiry concerning the incident.
Between last year and earlier this year, locals in Alkaleri LGA endured a series of wanton kidnappings and senseless killings by terrorists who hid around the forests in Yankari Games Reserve.
The situation reduced in the last six months, another local said, adding the abduction of the monarch was the first after the general election.
‘DEFEND YOURSELVES’
Last year in December, the terrorist in a coordinated attack, killed at least, 20 locals in villages under Duguri districts in the local council. The attacks, according to reports, were said to be in retaliation for the heavy defeat the bandits suffered from joint forces in the area. That was one of many unreported attacks on the villages.
In the aftermath of the attacks, the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, who hails from the district, charged the locals to pick up arms against the terrorists to defend themselves.
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“Rise, take up arms and defend yourselves,” the governor had said during a visit to one of the monarchs in the axis. “You are known to be men, you should not allow these bad elements subdue you, defend your land and liberate yourselves.”
A year before, Governor Mohammed had alleged that some local government officials and traditional rulers connive with bandits to fuel insecurity in the state.
He said security reports from the Department of State Services (DSS) showed that there are local and state actors aiding bandits in the state.
Hios words: “They have abducted a lot of people and we have lost lives and properties and of course, our security agencies have been doing very well.
“This is a very worrisome development because the majority of our people live in the rural areas and if there is insecurity there, we are going to have problems.
“There are a lot of incidences of connivance between local government officials, even state officials and traditional institutions with the bandits to short-change our people at the local levels.
“The chairmen, who are the chief executives in their respective local governments, we have told them to hold weekly meetings with the security agencies in their local governments but they are not doing that and we have been lending you support to run your security,” he said.
“You are supposed to work with the district heads, sometimes, the emirs, the village heads, the vigilante and the security agencies in your local governments, but you are not doing that.
“It is very unfortunate that the situation is deteriorating and everybody is looking up to the governor and the federal government.”
