Farming activities in Duguri, Gwana and Pali districts, situated in Alkaleri local government area of Bauchi State have been crippled by gunmen, locally referred to as bandits.
It was gathered that the gunmen, who invaded the communities about two weeks ago have forced farmers to stay away from their farms for fear of their safety.
Though the Yankari forest in Alkaleri LGA has traditionally been a hideout of criminal elements, the brazenness of the invasion of these farming communities suggests the bandit crisis that has engulfed the neighbouring North-West region, and part of the North-Central zone may be spreading. Bauchi is located in the north-east region of the country.
Farmers in villages like Futuk, Mansur, Makosa, Digare as well as Goborawa no longer wants to take the risk of going to their farms as reports of abduction become rampant.
Just like their counterparts in the North-West, the gunmen required the relatives of those abducted to pay ransom money before they are released.
Many villagers in Pele, Salihawa and Sabongari have been killed and have sustained gunshot injuries, residents claimed.
The residents said the authorities have only paid half interest in what is happening in the communities. They claimed that a few security agents were sent to the area at the beginning of the problem but were later withdrawn from the area.
They added that if the bandits were not cleared from the area immediately so people can return to their farms before the end of the rainy season, there will be widespread hunger in the area next year.
According to the residents, a military helicopter was spotted hovering over the forest around Sabongari and Jada for two days, but has not been spotted since then.
When contacted, the Bauchi State Police Command’s spokesperson, Ahmad Wakili, who claimed that there is no banditry in the State, said what happened two weeks ago was not banditry. He, however, did not give further details about the situation.
Several calls put to the Special Adviser on Media to Governor of Bauchi State, Muktari Gidado, proved unsuccessful as he did not reply to text messages sent to him.
