A report released by the Birnin-Gwari Emirate Progressives’ Union (BEPU) revealed that Ansaru terrorist group has banned political activities in many communities in the eastern part of Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Birnin-Gwari local government has 11 political wards with the western part consisting of eight of the wards.
The report, signed by the union’s chairman, Ishaq Usman Kasai, indicates that the group continues to gain strength in the area where locals particularly the youths are being recruited.
It added that the group continued to gain acceptance from many members of the communities particularly in Old Kuyello and Damari of Kazage Ward.
“Even this week, two members of the group were engaged for wedding with two girls and will be tying the nuptial knots by the coming Saturday.
“The Ansaru (grooms) laid down some rules to the in-laws for the wedding. They ruled that, after the wedding, they would take the brides to the forests and live there with them and do not want the brides to go along with any furniture except plates (coolers) and mattresses because anything other than that is not in tandem with their beliefs and convictions.”
BEPU noted with dismay that the locals who had joined the group were afraid to live in the town because of the fear they could be arrested by the police or security agencies.
BEPU further disclosed that the clarion call among the newly recruits, was for the establishment of an Islamic state, adding that the Ansaru and the newly recruits were of the belief that their numerical strength would help them to bring the present democratic government down.
“At present the Ansaru terrorists group is going round distributing memory cards to the locals which contains their beliefs and doctrine.
“A disturbing scenario is where the group banned all political activities in many communities such as Damari of Kazage Ward. Politicians from these communities have to go far away secretly to the neighbouring communities before they hold political meetings.
“For instance, this week, an Okada rider who lives in Unguwar Makera of Kazage Ward was seen with a sticker of one of the candidates vying for the Kaduna State House of Assembly and he was thoroughly beaten by the Ansaru.
“People in these communities are now disenchanted and frustrated about participating in political activities. We don’t know how the coming elections will take place in those areas because even the last local government election did not hold in the area due to the escalating insecurity which made the election results to be declared inconclusive and a sole administrator was appointed overseeing the affairs the local government up to now.
“In short, the Ansaru terrorists are now in charge of many of the communities in the area and the group is expanding its occupation. They now call the shots and determine what is to be done in the villages they are dominating.
“Those among the locals who are interested in joining the group are increasing. Those who have joined already used to come back to the communities and take those interested to the forests to spend days for indoctrination. When they come back, they usually narrate that, the Ansaru members used to tell them to go and join them to fight government and democracy in order to install Islamic State.
“We are disturbed that despite the worrisome development, no meaningful response from authorities. Even recently when our people were attacked and eight cars were burnt and scores of our people were kidnapped on Birnin-Gwari to Kaduna Road, nothing has been done by the government. Government has never acknowledged the incident or sympathize with our community.
“Our communities are being attacked, people kidnapped and killed daily without a response, acknowledgement or report from government. We call on government to please organise a coordinated security operation both aerial and ground to the hideouts of these criminals in our forests in order to flush them out and stop daily killings of our people by the unchallenged terrorists groups surrounding our communities” he stressed.
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