For the residents of Matso-matso
in Jibia Local Government area of Katsina state, the morning of Sunday the 7th
of August 2016 was anything but bright. As early as three o clock they began to
hear the sound of gunshots. Although these sounds are not new to the villagers,
they strike fear whenever they are heard; either one or more people will die or
some animals will be rustled, but usually the latter. The former is normally
the case when a farmer resisted or when, like in the present case, the bandits
are on a special mission.
The mission of the bandits on
Sunday night was obviously one; to kill the Imam of the village and his friend.
The Imam, who incidentally doubles as my maternal uncle, has been outspoken
against criminal activities in the area always organizing prayers and
encouraging his people to stand firm on the way of crime. Their first point of
call was his house. They shot him eleven times and one of the bullets brushed
over the face of his 10-year old son who was with him in the same room. The boy
sustained an injury that was treated, but he survived. Next, they moved to the
house of his friend in which they found no human presence. The man and his
family had vividly escaped into the surrounding bush after hearing the sound of
AK-47. More than most of us who live in the comfort of our safe havens in the
city, these villagers can now distinguish between the sounds of different guns
with confidence. The criminals did not waste any time before they burnt down the
house and immediately left the hamlet. However, they did not leave for good.
They invaded surrounding hamlets and embarked on a raping spree. At least I was
shown a young woman that was seriously beaten by the bandits when she resisted
the act. Of course, for cultural reasons women in this area and their families
will not disclose details of rape when they are victims.
Since there is no security
presence in the area despite Government propaganda, the villagers used the
antiquated steps-tracing method of determining the destination of a thief. They
successfully traced the steps of one of the bandits to a house in one of the
hamlets and caught the head of the house. It was after they arrested him and
some youth were insisting that he be lynched that the police arrived from the
local government headquarters some 12 kilometres away. The only thing they did
in the village together with the soldiers that came with them was to rescue the
suspect. They left with him after about 30 minutes. Contrary to expectation,
the combined security team of Police, Army and DSS did not conduct any thorough
forensic investigation. For example, they did not visit the scene of the murder
nor interviewed the victim’s wife who was with him when the murder took place.
It was even some of the villagers that brought them sample of the ammunition
recovered from the scene, but they never asked for it. Furthermore, the
security men did not visit the hamlets in which women were allegedly raped.
The local Government team comprising
of the Acting Chairman, Local party chairman and other local politicians later
came and advised the defenceless villagers to be vigilant and engage in local
policing. However, no attempt was made by the authorities to give medical
treatment to the alleged victims of rape.
Liman Danlami is not the first
victim of criminal attack in the village. Within the past one year Matso-matso
has been attacked at least five times during which over 100 cows were taken and
three people killed. In all cases the security people only arrived when
concerned individuals within Jibia town called them and they generally come
when the dust has already settled.
Other villages that have been
under incessant harassment in the area include Zandam, Kwari, Dan hako, ‘yar
lumo, Garin Kerau, ‘yar gamji and Shekewa. All of these communities fall within
three wards in Jibia and Batsari Local Government Areas. In fact, hardly will
two weeks pass without a case of banditry, cattle-rustling or other forms of
criminality in the area. Dear reader should not assume that the villagers have
no clue as to who these criminals are and where they come from. It is however
the fear of what has just happened to this Imam that has made the people to
seal their mouths.
While these criminalities are
taking place in remote locations, there are not less than 10 checkpoints of
gun-wielding soldiers, police, Immigration and Customs men on the 42 kilometre
long Katsina – Jibia road. The military operation recently launched in Gusau
only served as a notice for the robbers to restrategize and safely continue
with their business.
In Katsina the Government is
fiddling away as the people live under constant fear. For example, none of the
three governors that governed over the past 17 years went beyond local government
headquarters and villages on the highway to see how these innocent, defenceless
farmers are doing. This is true even when there is a massive attack like the
one that almost displaced the entire Shekewa community two months ago. In Abuja it is a tale of budget padding,
prosecution of looters, assurances of better future, etc. But for my people in
the villages, all these do not make any sense. Their concern is the security of
their lives and property.
