A 75-year-old cattle breeder in Shaffa village of Duguri District in Alkaleri LGA, Alh Katu Mai Dukkuna has been killed by bandits suspected to be kidnappers who invaded his house in the settlement.
The State Governor, Sen Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir has cried out that the activities of bandits and kidnappers in the state in recent times are giving him sleepless nights.
Late Katu Mai Dukkuna, a prominent kinsman of the Bauchi State Governor, Sen Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir was killed when the kidnappers stormed with the intention of kidnapping him for ransom but resisted the attempt.
A resident of the area, Malam Sunusi told Journalists that the gunmen had earlier visited his farm but when they could not find him, they went to the house where they tried to kidnap him but ended up killing him and went away with three of his grandchildren – two females and a male.
The villager added that the kidnappers also took away some of his cows leaving the family in a mourning mood; a development that has now thrown the entire village into a panicking situation.
Another villager, Sani Umar said that for about a week before the incident, the gunmen have been coming to the village looking for who to kidnap considering the fact that most of the people are cattle breeders and farmers thinking that they have money.
He however disclosed that as of the last time the kidnappers made contact, they were demanding the sum of N50m ransom for the 3 abductees, lamenting that the amount is on the high side but added that negotiations are ongoing in order to secure their release.
The villagers, however, called on the state government to come to their aid as the activities of the bandits have negatively affected their existence as they can no longer go to the farm in the rainy season.
Younger brother to the late Katu described the incident as a surprise to the family. According to him, his late elder brother was a peace lover who contributed to the development of the village.
He called on the state government and security agencies to team up and rescue the children who he said had spent about 5 days in captivity and may be in danger due to the rainy season.
This is coming a few weeks after several people were killed and some abducted in Toro, Alkaleri, Tafawa Balewa and several other communities across the state, prompting the Governor to embark on assessment visits to the affected communities to commiserate and assure them of his administration’s commitment to end banditry.
While speaking in Duguri, his country home, the Governor commiserated with the people of his ‘home town over the death of some people and the abduction of so many sons and daughters of this area”.
The Governor added that “A lot of criminality is happening here, maybe because we are far from the centre. A lot of atrocities are happening here because the economic activities here are much. We have the best lush vegetable soil, agricultural soil where our people have been farming for so many years.
“We have so many minerals here that are why we are having problems. We are trying our best, the local government is trying its best, the state government is also trying its best., The federal government is also doing its best”, he stressed.
According to the Governor, “Our policy of community engagement has taken us everywhere in the State where this ugly incident has happened. We went to Toro, we went to Gwana, Mansur and then Tafawa Belewa to engage with the people”.
He further said that “But as the security agencies would always say, this cannot happen without collaboration with some obnoxious elements within us, including some members of our traditional institution, even some security personnel, therefore we have already requested the two traditional district heads to be circumspect to look inward, because we are looking, inward because we too we are looking so that we can arrest this issue of compromise and information giving to the bandits.
“There is no way somebody from Zamfara or somewhere will visit that secluded place like Shaffa and kill someone unless he has an informant. The security agencies cannot do it alone. And that is why we are establishing a system of feedback”.
Bala Mohammed added that “And I heard that some people within us are even feeding the bandits in their secret place by giving them grains and flour, that is the report I received, and we are going to go after such people no matter how highly placed they are to make our people safe and secure. ”
Also speaking, State Commissioner of Police, Umar Sanda who spoke on behalf of the Heads of security Agents in the state called on the people to assist by exposing suspicious agents within the community.
He commended the Governor for his support to the security agencies working in the state and called on the people to support the efforts of the government in fighting insecurity.
Earlier, the Executive Chairman of Alkaleri LGC, Hon Yusuf Garba said that the visit has further given the people of the area more hope and courage that the government is concerned about their security.
He then pledged the support and unalloyed loyalty of the people of the area to the government.