Outrage as bandits burn harvested maize on Kaduna farms

Bandits, on Sunday night, attacked two villages – Kwaga and Ungwan Zako – in Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, setting fire to harvested maize on six farms.

The devastating attacks caused anger in the villages as locals lamented their losses.

The PUNCH learnt that the attack came barely 48 hours after a peace parley with bandits in Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area, championed by a cleric, Sheik Assadus Sunnah.

“The bandits have set multiple farms ablaze around Zako near Kwaga, along the Birnin-Gwari-Kaduna highway,” the villagers lamented.

A source who craved anonymity said the latest attack left several hectares of maize farms in flames, including that of a farmer, Malam Tanko, who owns six hectares of maize in Kwaga.

Tanko, when contacted, lamented: “We are helpless and totally confused about the situation.”

He noted that attacks on farms were threats to food security in the Birnin-Gwari area.

“With the maize harvest season approaching, the destruction of crops will have far-reaching consequences for the local community.

“We rely heavily on our farms for livelihood. If the bandits continue to destroy our crops, we will be left with nothing.

“We urge the government to take immediate action to secure our communities and protect our farms,” said Tanko.

Banditry has taken a toll on residents of Birnin-Gwari, with many of them losing loved ones, livelihoods, and property to the various attacks.

“We are tired of living in fear,” a resident who wished to remain anonymous said, adding that, “We want peace and security in our community.”

The state government was yet to release an official statement on the incident at the time of filing this report.

Additionally, attempts to reach the Public Relations Officer of the state police command, Mansir Hassan, were unsuccessful.

However, the Chairman of the Birnin Gwari-Niger Interboundaries Communities Association, Ishaq Usman Kasai, confirmed the incident.

He noted that the bandits responsible for the farm destruction were part of the notorious group led by Yellow Jamboros, who had been terrorising communities in the area.

Kasai asked the Federal Government to synergise with state governments to develop a national strategy to tackle banditry and ensure the safety of citizens.