Gang violence: Kaduna’s new security challenge

By Femi Oyelola

With the elections over, Kaduna State has returned to its worrisome state of unpleasant news bothering on killing of innocent citizens by gunmen. It’s unarguable that the Northwest state has suffered more banditry attacks both in terms of frequency and casualties more than any other state in the country since the criminal groups sprang up. At some point, hardly would a day pass without the sad news of citizens being killed or taken into captivity by the terrorist groups. Observers are in agreement that though the quantum of destruction of lives and property may differ, bandits have successfully done to Kaduna what Boko Haram terrorists have done to Borno and the other neighbouring Northeast states.
And as if the citizens and residents have not suffered enough in the hands of bandits, a new trend of gang clash has reared it head, sending fresh fears into the people for their safety. A 24 hour curfew has been recently imposed on Sabon-Garin Nassarawa – –Tirkaniya in Chikun Local Government Area of the state, following what the Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, described as urban gang violence which led to the dead of two people on Monday, April 3rd.
Barely 48 hours after the incident, the state government on April 4, received a detailed security report where eight students among others were kidnapped in Awon general area of Kachia LGA. While that is being investigated, bandits who seemed to have gone on break have bared their fangs on the state again.
There’s no doubt that the last incident of banditry attacks in Kaduna came as a surprise because the state for some time now has enjoyed relative peace from bandits as the security agents appeared to be on top of the game. Troops and special forces of the Nigerian Army recently neutralized 11 bandits in a fierce battle which took place during fighting patrols in Birnin Gwari LGA.
This is coming, days after men of the State Police Command, arrested one bandit and neutralized two others in Giwa LGA. And from all indications, it appears like the troops have taken the fight to the terrorists’ dens.
In a reaction to the recently kidnapped students of the GSS Awon in Kachia LGA, the Nigerian Labour Congress,NLC, Kaduna State Council urged the Kaduna State Government and security agencies to do the needful in ensuring the safe release of the kidnapped students,
The Chairman of the Council, Comrade Ayuba Magaji Suleiman, said the assurances of the government must be seen to be backed up with reasonable actions; actions that will ensure the safety of all and the elimination of all forms of threats to the safety of the larger society.
He lamented that the strategically coordinated and unrepelled attacks on not just citizens of the state, but students have given room for “worry and despair as to the safety of everyone; indeed, it is becoming increasingly evident that we are in a helpless situation.”
Ayuba said it was quite unfortunate that “these wanton attacks had consistently been under-reported, thus, painting a half-truth picture of the ugly reality that now confronts some parts of the State.
“These vicious attacks and kidnapping of students speak volume to the vulnerability of not just some communities, but schools, and this must not be allowed to continue” he said
However, the worrisome threat to lives in Kaduna today is a resurgence of urban gangs in many parts of the metropolis. Although urban gangsters and their activities which most times result into violence is not a new phenomenon in the state, its resurgence and the violent dimension which led to loss of lives has created fresh fears in citizens who have been living at the mercy of bandits for a long time. And that is in addition to frequent clashes between farmers and herders especially in the Southern axis of the state.
Recall that there was a time in the not too distant past that a gang popularly known as ‘Yanshara’ held the state by the jugglers. Some members of the gang mostly operated in areas like U/ Rimi community of Kaduna North, Rigasa and Hayin Damani and Igabi LGAs respectively.
Their nefarious activities quickly drew the ire of the state government, and they were instantly dislodged. But the sad memories of their activities still linger in the mind of the residents of the areas.
Hajiya Hauwa Mustapha, while speaking to Weekend Peoples Daily, recalled how her son, Babawo, was attacked and murdered on his way back from the popular Capital School in Malali GRA, two years ago.
Hajiya Mustapha who resides in Badarawa Community in Kaduna North LGA said two years is just like yesterday, and she’s still mourning his death even though she has left everything in the hands of Allah.
Similarly, residents of Unguwan Yero and Kwaru also in Kaduna North LGA, have recounted how they have lived under the threats of the unfortunate activities of urban gangsters who constantly terrorize and attacked them even in broad daylight with dangerous weapons, collect their possessions and disappeared into the community unhindered.
The two communities share the same entrance and exit route, driving from the popular Karaye Road linking Badarawa and College roads in Unguwan Dosa in the heart of Kaduna.
Residents of these two communities patronize the same Majalisa Market, which is without any visible boundary.
However, the security agencies comprising the Police, Nigerian Army, DSS and the vigilante groups have worked tirelessly to restore peace, but the disturbing aspect is that their neighbours in the Unguwan Masamari Community in Malali, seems to be the new hub for the urban gangs.
A resident who did not want his name in print said a shop close to Damisa Hotel in the area is the hideout for the miscreants. And that as early as 5:30am the miscreants would assemble there and would be there up to 12am the following day.
“They get drunk and start fighting, using dangerous weapons on each other. And you know how Kaduna is; if it is not immediately stopped, it automatically turns into something else,” he said.
Weekend Peoples Daily investigation revealed that the miscreants usually gather down the street where a popular Church is located in the area to smoke Indian hemp, and other dangerous drugs which stimulates and pushes them to comit crimes.
A member of the vigilante group in the community who also pleaded for his name not to be on print, said in the last week of January 2023, men of the NDLEA raided the area, but surprisingly some of the arrested gang members are today walking freely in the community.
A clergy within in the community told Weekend Peoples Daily that the miscreats are holding them to ramson and every attempt to get the leadership of the community to check mate them had always fell on deaf ears.
In the same vein, there is also gangster haven along Mahuta in Chikun Local Government Area; but Black Street, Kantin Aga are already known dark spots in the council. Same thing is happening in Igabi council and Kaduna South LGA.
Accordingly, residents have called on the State Government, and security agencies to beam their searchlights on these spots to ensure sanity in order to avoid the Sabon-Garin Nassarawa-Trikaniya incident, Kaduna
In the words of Dr Abubakar Ado, “These youth are on drugs and what Government needs to do is to cut their supplies channel by arresting the dealers.”
How soon this will be realised is what no resident of Kaduna State can say for sure. But as they say, a stitch in time saves nine.