- Kidnappers kill 2, abduct 4 in Bauchi
- Blame government, politicians for abandonment
BY ADEYEMI AKANJI, BAUCHI – Following the frequent invasion of their community by unknown gunmen, residents of Birshin Fulani, a suburb of Bauchi metropolis have slammed the state government for failing to safeguard their lives and property against criminal elements.
With two lives already lost and four persons abducted by the bandits, the community members are angry that even their elected officials have not shown any empathy towards their plight.
Frowning at what they described as ‘official abandonment’, a statement by the Concerned Community of Birshin Fulani said; “None of our elected officeholders has found it worthy to either sympathize with us or help take concrete measures that will guarantee our safety and security from the killer gunmen who find pleasure in regularly disturbing our hard-earned peace”.
The statement signed by Abdulhamid Jibrin Birshi for the Concerned Birshin Fulani Community, said; “As we speak, several wealthy individuals have started deserting our community and scampering for safety in different places, to evade the kidnappers”.
He said; “Many residents now sleep in the bush out of fear of the unknown because the gunmen can strike any moment knowing fully well that there are no measures on the ground to repel them when they attack”.
“From members of the State House of Assembly, Danlami Kawule; House of Representatives, Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi, to the Senator, Lawal Yaya Gumau and the Governor of Bauchi State, we have not seen any concrete support aimed at helping us move out of the current dire security situation as a community.
“The inability of these political officeholders to pay either personal or official visits in sympathy and solidarity to the people of this community that are now leaving at the mercy of killer gunmen has reminded us that we are only relevant when our votes are needed”, the residents lamented.
According to the residents; “This uncaring attitude and lack of empathy by leaders across the cadres mentioned is a further reminder that ‘We are on our own’ when tragedy befalls us. This “I don’t care attitude” is highly unfortunate and regrettable.
“But we want to remind these leaders across all the cadres mentioned earlier, that power is transient; any position you are occupying today have once been occupied by someone, and today history has pushed them aside. You will also leave those positions someday, and history will continue to judge your actions or inactions while in a position of power. We leave you to your conscience and the tide of time.”
Narrating their harrowing experience, the people said; “You may recall that on September 9th 2021, unknown gunmen struck at Birshin Fulani community, killed a staff of the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi and his neighbour who resisted being kidnapped by the gunmen.
“The kidnappers, after killing the Imam, abducted his son and one other individual and only released them after a heavy ransom was paid. Few days after the first incident, the gunmen struck again, shot sporadically to scare residents and abducted two more people.
“In another incident, which is the third, the kidnappers stormed the community and kidnapped another individual; the fourth and the latest incident happened on Thursday, the 17th of September where they ransacked the community, kidnapped the wife of an AIT staff whose pregnancy is eight months old, making it the fourth in less than two weeks.
“In total, the kidnappers have killed two people and abducted four”, the community said, adding; “On the latest kidnap incident, the gunmen are demanding N50 million as ransom, they have only downsized the money to N45 million after repeated pleas from the husband. The gunmen have given a 24-hour ultimatum to the husband to give them the said amount or get his wife killed”.
“Report reaching us this morning (Sunday) is that our neighbours, Anguwar Kanawa, just a few metres away from us were equally attacked by the same gunmen. It took members of the vigilante several hours before they were able to repel the gunmen.
“These incessant incidents of kidnapping, by a gang of 10 AK 47 wielding gunmen seem to have defied every solution. We note with dismay the inability of people in positions of power to do the needful.
“For instance, from the lowest to the highest political officeholders in the land, who usually storm our community in search of votes during the campaigns, only the Deputy Speaker has so far paid a condolence visit to the community.
The residents had on Friday, blocked the ever-busy Bauchi – Tafawa Balewa road for several hours protesting the incessant attacks by unknown gunmen, even as they appealed to relevant authorities to, as a matter of urgency, come to their aid before the community becomes a ghost town given the consistency of these criminal attacks.
