From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna
The Adara Development Association of Nigeria (ADA,) has expressed worry over the continuous reports of kidnapping and deaths in the Adara land.
This was contained in a statement issued by the National President of the association, Sebastian Barde, and made available to the media in Kaduna, yesterday.
The statement said that the community has witnessed 35 security breaches as reported across Adara land in Kaduna and Niger states with over 29 villages attacked, 41 persons killed, 24 persons injured, and 222 persons kidnapped with many yet to regain their freedom since the beginning of the first quarter of 2024.
It further states, “A breakdown of the impact indicates that Kachia and Kajuru LGAs had 20 and 21 fatalities respectively. On abductions, 98, 112 and 12 were kidnapped in Kachia, Kajuru and Niger State Adara communities respectively.”
The National President explained that the latest reports record more attacks, one at Ungwan Machu, Chibiya, Maro Ward on 31st March, about a woman killed, with some parts of her body parts removed with the bandits objecting to the burial.
He opined that the cumulative effect of the situation is that the community has been brought under severe multidimensional distress, leading to the displacement and desertion of over 112 villages in both Kachia and Kajuru LGAs of Kaduna State.
“We are particularly concerned about the continuing trend of massacres, mass abductions and outrageous ransoms being extorted from our hapless people.
“Specific examples include the 11 killed in Ungwan Sako, 13 killed at Gindin Dutse, 29 abducted at Ungwan Sako, 33 abducted at Kwakware, 61 abducted at Buda, 87 abducted at Tantatu, N11 Million extorted from Kwakware and N42 Million from Ungwan Sako.”
“The Adara community is suffering and enduring a lot from the intentional and unintentional actions and inactions of the government that has the responsibility of protection of life and property.
“While the suffering is much, it amounts to double jeopardy for it to be left overexposed again to the excesses of merciless non-state actors like the rampaging terrorists.”
Mr Barde therefore called on the government to take appropriate initiatives, strategies, and deliberate efforts to address the challenges and grievances of the Adara community as well as others in the State.
