FLASH POINT

By Tajuddeen Tijjani Ajibade

Daredevil bandits have taken over a number of Communities in the Kaduna State Government Millennium City, that only a quick action can save the project and the residents of the area. The underworld men have broken all decency and made the new city a nightmare, unfriendly for any economic development. Many inhabitants of the mostly affected areas have vowed to relocate, if the authority failed to come to their aid and provide enough security. In less than a year, the night mauraders have caused havoc to many homes, and displaced a number of people and house owners. The’ rouge’s have successfully operated for seven times in one community and leave a trace of sadness in their victims homes. A recent one was their callousness, when they kidnapped a house wife and her three underage children of between ten and six years. They swooped on their targets in numbers, some wearing masks and carry dangerous weapons including diggers to break into a house. They have equally done it in other areas within the Millennium City without anyone to challenge them. You can only be lucky when the Army and Police come on time after receiving a distressed call and only come to scare them away. The officers and men are very few to confront the bandits, and they need more hands for effective monitor of the area, Another area the government should show a great concern is the economic implications for the project and the benefits to accrue for the state government. There many Plazas standing up in the new city, but they are empty, not occupied, because people are afraid to do any business in the area and surrounding community, for fear of been kidnapped. It is the responsibility of the state government to laise with the Federal Government to build barracks for the Army, Air Force, Civil Defence, and encourage Community Policing, KADVIS, JTF and the people in the battle against the menace of bandits. Some of them know the criminals, but are afraid to talk to them, because of fear. As at the time of this report, your Excellency, many residents of the area are planning to go out of the area for safety. The governor should as a matter of urgency pay a surprise visit to these Communities, and see for himself the root behind the menace. 

The government should not allowed the bandits to fully establish in those areas, before they were routed out and fastly Sir. Similar action’s should be taken in other Communities facing similar problems around the state, in the way you acted in the case Birinigwari Students episode, before Kaduna State forests are turned into another Sambisa. Another things the government should be concerned about, is the reckless abandonment of many Estates, especially, in the Millennium City Community and surrounding villages, where developers took land from the government to build houses, and provide amenities for the community, only to abandoned them to their fate, and also leave many uncompleted building’s on the land, where the bandits are used as hideouts to commit terror. Many uncompleted building’s and undeveloped land are also part of the problems.

 The Millennium City projects is a new city aimed at decongesting the Kaduna town, and we will be making a great disservice to our past leaders, if we abandoned it for all sorts of criminals and bandits. And finally, your Excellency, your government in conjunction with the security, should do everything possible to unearth those behind the banditry, and their sponsor’s, apart from those dregs and ragtag boys, because, behind every successful crime, there’s always a sponsor.

Thank you.

Alhaji Tajuddeen Tijjani Ajibade, Kaduna based  Veteran Journalist