Residents of Birnin Gwari Local Government Area in Kaduna State have called for a coordinated bombardment of forests in the area to flush out terrorists who now ‘’govern their land.’’
They said through the Birnin-Gwari Emirate Development Union (BEPU) Chairman, Ishaq Kasai, that the terrorists led by Yellow Jambros extort them by compelling them to enter into a deal.
The residents cited last Sunday’s destruction of 400 bags of maize worth millions of Naira by bandits in Kwaga and Unguwar Zako villages as one of the prices they have had to pay for seeking a way to protect themselves.
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Kasai, who spoke with The Nation yesterday, attributed the attacks on the farms to a breakdown of a peace deal between the communities and the Yellow Jambros-led group.
He said that the porous nature of the Western part of Birnin Gwari makes it easy for terrorists to move freely into villages in the council.
The council shares boundary with Niger, Kebbi and Zamfara states.
Kasai said: ‘’What happened on Sunday night is that, there is a failed peace deal between some areas around Kwoga, Zoko, and Gayam area which is being covered by one notorious bandit kingpin called Yellow Jambros and his team.
“For Birnin Gwari area and indeed the entire Northwest to have peace, military authorities should send troops to Kuduru, Kamuku, Kuyanbana, and Kuzamani forests.
“In all those areas, there are hundreds of camps of these bandits, they have been kidnapping and taking people to these forests and there is not enough security action to reach those particular flashpoints.
“Therefore, there is a need for coordinated inter-state military operations between, Kaduna, Niger, and Zamfara. Let it be a simultaneous operation. Let us not just stay on the road or in particular communities.
“The bandits are permanently in the forests, they are not moving. They (bandits) tell community people that, the government can only boast but cannot come to meet them in the forests.
“Whenever there is an operation in Zamfara, you will see bandits moving freely in forests of Birnin Gwari and Niger states. But when the operation is over in Zamfara, they will move back from Niger through Birnin Gwari forests to Zamfara.
“The Western part of Birnin Gwari which shares boundary with Niger, Kebbi, and Zamfara is still porous up till today and bandits move freely and govern people in that area with impunity.
“Only a coordinated security operation will end the madness and clear these bandits once and for all. Reactive measures will never take us anywhere.”
