Bandits have demanded N12 million from some communities in Kaduna State’s Birnin Gwari Local Government Area in order to carry out farming operations.
In a statement, Birnin Gwari Emirate Progressive Union (BEPU) Chairman Ishaq Usman Kasai revealed that the robbers had warned the farmers that if they did not pay the N12 million, they ran the risk of being kidnapped on the farms.
According to the statement, “The bandits informed some farming communities including Kwaga, Kwanan-Shehu, Unguwan Liman and Unguwan Shekarau to pay levies amounting to N12 million (3 million each) in order for them to be allowed to continue harvesting their crops.”
The announcement went on to say that the towns had only until today, Friday, September 30, 2022, to comply with the requirement; after that date, the bandits threatened to abduct anyone discovered on the farms.
According to him, the union discovered that the helpless villages had begun to contribute in order to satisfy the requirement and the deadline depending on the size of their farms.
In order to give the hapless farming communities of Birnin-Gwari access to their lands and the freedom to harvest their harvests without fear of damage or intimidation, the statement made a plea to the Nigerian government.
It was reported that the six (6) people kidnapped at a farm centre on Saturday 24th September, 2022, who were of Kwaga community were released on Wednesday, 28th September, 2022, after providing the bandits with rice, beans, 25 litres of red oil, 25 litres of groundnut oil and recharge card of N10,000.
It added that “the four (4) people of Unguwan Liman, who were kidnapped on Saturday, 24th September, 2022, and one at Unguwan Shekarau were also released on Wednesday after payment of N2 million and N500,000, respectively.
“the five (5) farmers earlier kidnapped on Thursday, 15th September, 2022 at Kurgin Gabas and Sabon-Layi areas have luckily escaped from the kidnappers’ den in the early hours of Friday, 22nd September, 2022 after spending a week in captivity.”
However, a farmer was killed at Shiwaka community on Tuesday, 27th September, 2022 after being tied to a tree, saying that more than 20 people were kidnapped on Wednesday, 28th September, 2022 at different farms in Jangali and Kwaga areas.
