KIDNAPPING: Niger Landlords Moving To Abuja

“People are leaving, businesses are going down, people are scared to invest in this place and many people are packing out,” says Richard Bawa, resident of Garam, a border town between Niger State and the Federal Capital Territory.

Bawa had watched the relatively peaceful community he grew up in turn into a shadow of its former self.

The community had suddenly turned into a hub of kidnapping and the non-indigenes who built houses and live in the community, have started moving out in droves.

Although situated in Tafa Local Government of Niger State, Garam is about 30 minutes from the Three Arms Zone, Abuja—Nigeria’s seat of power.

Bwari Area Council of the FCT which borders the community has witnessed at least 20 incidents of kidnapping for ransom and no fewer than 5 persons have been killed since the beginning of 2024

“I will say it’s a great loss to the community because it’s seriously affecting us. This is a stain to the community because people no longer want to come here for anything, whether weddings or other events, they would rather send money than come because of fear of being kidnapped, which is affecting different aspects of the community,” Bawa told THE WHISTLER when our correspondent visited the
community.

He explained the modus operandi of the kidnappers: “These people have their way of operation, we discovered that during their operation before they shoot a gun, they already picked somebody. They come in silently and pick someone, so when they shoot the gun, the people who are holding the kidnapped victims are different from the ones shooting.

“Meanwhile, before they shoot, the people with the victims must have gone far, the gunshots are usually like an alarm to tell residents that they are going. So, before the security personnel will go, they have already picked people.”

Bawa blamed the lack of social amenities and gainful employment for the youth population as reasons for the rising insecurity in the area.

“There are no roads, no portable water, no light and it’s affecting our community seriously. For over three months the government promised to construct our road it has been left unattended. When there are social amenities, you discover that the community will progress.

“These kidnappers operate in the bush, so, if there are social amenities in the community, the influx of people to the community will further reduce with the bushes around. I feel if there are availabilities of social amenities, more people will come even security personnel will feel comfortable staying in Garam.

“One of the reasons why all this is happening is the lack of jobs, which is one of the contributors to what is happening in the country today. The government should create jobs for youth, that way the level
of crime will be reduced,” he added

He said residents have decided to take the security of the community into their own hands because the policemen posted to the community are unreliable.

“Presently, in the Garam community, everybody is security personnel because we don’t sleep, every night the youths come out to keep watch. If you have a stick, knife, cutlass, or anything you can bring to keep watch to scare the kidnappers if they plan to attack, this is to support the security agency being sent from the state and other areas.

“Although some policemen were posted here, you cannot rely on them alone. So, youths come out to show support. We don’t sleep, in most cases, we sleep around 4 am or 5 am just to be on guard in case we hear anything, one can easily raise the alarm, hence reducing the rate of their operation.

“Since we launched the vigilante work, the attacks have reduced in the sense that the vigilante group is organized, most time you see people moving around with their touch light. We have not recorded any of such again, we heard that the kidnappers had planned to attack but seeing how tight the area is, they had to go back and we also have the numbers of the security agencies around that we can easily call in any case to come for rescue.

Like Bawa, Nathan Bala also grew up in Garam. He married and established an aluminum business in the community.

He gave a timeline of kidnapping incidents in Garam, “In this community, we’ve had over three attacks, they kidnapped 7 in the first one, and another 13 during their second attack in Sabon-angwa, but a
woman escaped with her baby.

“They also kidnapped nine people and killed two. Out of the seven people left, they released a NEPA staff who was taken alongside the husband to go and look for N100 million to secure her husband’s release. That same amount is what they ask other people to pay.”

He, however, lauded the increased security presence in the community.
He said, “the government has been working hard to curb the increasing number of kidnapping cases. At least since January till now, the security presence in the community has increased.

We’ve not had any report of kidnapping recently, some of the kidnapper’s informants have been captured. Some of them are Fulani, while others are indigenes of Garam. I appreciate the government for the action they have taken to bring this menace to an end.

“Now police patrol from time to time, and the youths in the community also do their vigilante work, because we don’t know who is who. All this is to ensure that our wives and children are safe. “

Malama Ama Bimba, a mother of five told THE WHISTLER that relocation is not an option for her.

“I can’t run, I have decided to stay and fight my fears, I don’t have any weapon to fight with except prayers. I can’t leave my five children, we don’t trust any strange faces because you don’t know who
is who.

“I’m an indigene by marriage, I’ve been married for 42 years. I was married from Ije to Garam, all in Niger state. What we are facing here is the same thing the Ije people are experiencing. “

She said kidnappers still raid the community despite the presence of security agents.

“Despite hearing that soldiers have been sent to the community, they still come. Their guns are more powerful than that of soldiers. Even last night they still came, if not for the police and the vigilante group that went around the village, maybe the kidnappers would have succeeded in taking some people.

“Our children now sleep outside, whether you are a vigilante or not, they stay outside helping to move around to ensure people are safe and also know what’s going on,” she added

Abdulsalam, a freelance journalist who built a 2-bedroom flat in the area told THE WHISTLER that he fled to Abuja after the insecurity in the area worsened.

He however said he intends to return to the community once the situation improves.

“The insecurity in Garam has affected many of us in so many ways, me in particular. We had no peace of mind and had to leave for Abuja. Some of us come from time to time to check our stuff.

“I do not intend to sell my property, I just want the house to be there because I love the way I built my thing, it is always like my safe abode. I will go back soon. Government should increase the security in the area,” he said.

When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Niger State Police Command, Wasiu Abiodun, told THE WHISTLER that the command had beefed up security in the area.

Asked about the lack of a police station in the area, Abiodun suggested that residents of the community take their complaints to Tafa Police Station which is 11 kilometres from Garam

“Garam is under Tafa police station, based on what they told you, they are under Tafa police station. They didn’t tell you the truth,” he said while reacting to the complaints of lack of police presence.

He also sent our correspondent an undated press statement dispatching a tactical police team to patrol the area. The statement, however, made no mention of establishing a station in the community.

The Chairman of Tafa Local Government Area, Danladi Iyah, declined to disclose details about the security measures the council was taking when THE WHISTLER spoke to him on telephone.

He said the council was on top of the situation but disclosing security measures on air could undermine their effectiveness, adding that the community is currently calm, with people living in peace as a result of maintaining confidentiality.