From Jude Owuamanam, Managing Editor, Northern Operations
Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau, was startled on Tuesday when members of Rijana Community told him that 18 members of their community were killed in reprisal attacks because security operatives divulge information provided by the natives to kidnappers along the Kaduna-Abuja Highway
A former Special Assistant on Rural Development to ex-governor Ahmed Makarfi of Kaduna State, Abdulsalam Abubakar, said that rather than being a source of protection, security agents have been nightmares to them, adding that they were more secured without their presence.
Abubakar spoke when the Minister visited the community on Tuesday on a fact-finding mission.
While expressing concern over the killing of his kinsmen for attempting to provide the police with intelligence report on the activities of kidnappers in the area, he said that kidnapping has continued unabated along the highway because information divulged to security agents had not been treated with utmost secrecy.
So far, he said 18 members of the community that attempted to expose the activities of kidnappers were “macheted to death” by unknown persons.
Abdulsalam said, “Sincerely, we have started getting relief with the presence of security chiefs and top government officials like you who have come to show concern about what is happening in our domain.
“What is happening on this road is very disheartening and we members of the communities around are living in fear and anxiety specifically we members of the Rijana community are very interested in supporting this operation with useful information but, we are in serious trouble in this community.
“Its not that we don’t have information to give but we are scared, because we can’t see reasons 600 security personnel will be around here and they will not be able to enter the bush and flush out the criminals. Our youths are now spoilt. They have mixed with criminals and they have been corrupted by them.
“But our major problem is the fear of death. Our people are now scared to give information to the security. We have hitherto be giving information to the police but instead of seeing improvement and progress in the area of security, it is the other way round.
“Everybody knows in this community that, in the process of giving out information to the security, we have lost 18 people.
“There are bad eggs among the security personnel especially the police. Whoever tells you Honourable Minister that this does not exists in the police is telling you lies.”
“It is very disturbing that IGP has deployed 600 policemen to this area and not even a common chicken has been arrested. We believed that, our police have requisite intelligence to tackle this problems.”
But Dambazau, who said he was Rijana, Kachia Local Government Area of the state(Kaduna)on a fact finding mission, said kidnappers along the Kaduna-Abuja expressway were “terrorists”.
The minister said all the element of terrorism are featuring in the activities of in the area hence they(kidnappers) must be crushed.
The former Chief of Army Staff told the locals that everything possible would be done to put the situation under control.
The Minister said, “we are here on fact finding mission because of the incessant kidnapping going on in this area.
“We will look at your complaints. Government has resolved to end this kidnapping. It is a promise and we will do everything possible to address the situation. We will also protect our informants.
“Government is interested because it is its responsibility to protect lives and property and besides. It is a promise this government made before it was elected into office. So I’m here to meet with the community and see how the ongoing special operation is going.
He added, “We see this as act of terrorism because every element of terrorism is reflecting and it must stop. I’m aware that, most of the people involved are foreigners but they cannot succeed without connivance with those that reside here in the community. It is tragedy that ply this road cannot sure of his safe return.”