Residents of Karasa village, Doguwa Local Government Area of Kano State in northwest Nigeria, have called on the government to help eliminate the activities of kidnappers and also rescue kidnapped victims.Community leaders also appealed to the government to assist them by strengthening security in the area, claiming that only 15 police officers were protecting more than 5,000 people from a well-armed team of kidnappers.
They told Channels Television that neighbouring villagers could no longer sleep in their houses due to the increasing cases of kidnapping.
Three people are currently under captivity, as several others regained freedom after paying ransom to kidnappers.
“We are in a terrible situation here, look at our farms, we can no longer go and work, our children cannot go to school and most of our neighbouring villages have relocated here due to the fear of being kidnapped,” a community leader lamented.
“Three of our children are already with the kidnappers, despite the presence of police officers here, we are not free and from 5:00pm we can’t go out.
“Although the policemen here are trying, they are not enough and practically outnumbered by the kidnappers.
“Please, government! Please, police! We need your help. We have nowhere else to go. They rape our female daughters everyday and kidnap the males for ransom.
“We don’t have the money, we only have farm lands and grains to feed our family,” one of the residents, who was near tears, said.
Government Has Not Helped
The first kidnapped person in Karasa, Lawan Sani, said he sold three of his inherited farm lands, farm produce and a large quantity of fertiliser to regain his freedom at the cost of one million Naira.
“I spent five days in their custody. They released me after I paid one million Naira which I got after selling all my property, I don’t have anything now and government has refused to help,” he said.
Karasa village, a border town between Kano and Bauchi states, also houses the notorious Falgore Forest where cattle rustling activities became rampant in recent times.
Cattle rustling, which has now metamorphosed into kidnapping has since become a major threat to the survival of the people.
Most of the houses are only occupied during the day, but in the night all occupants leave to sleep in one place closer to a group of police officers assigned to protect the villagers.
Due to the complaints, the Kano State Police Commissioner, Rabi’u Yusuf, visited Karasa and other neighbouring villages.
Addressing the villagers, he assured them that a reinforcement would be deployed to end the activities of kidnappers and other criminals in the area.
Mr Yusuf asked residents and vigilante groups to continue to collaborate with the police in order to bring the situation under control.
On his part, the Chairman Doguwa Local Government, Aliyu Audu, said the government in collaboration with all security agencies was doing its best to bring the situation under control with the three abducted persons rescued.
“I spent five days in their custody. They released me after I paid one million Naira which I got after selling all my property, I don’t have anything now and government has refused to help,” he said.
Karasa village, a border town between Kano and Bauchi states, also houses the notorious Falgore Forest where cattle rustling activities became rampant in recent times.
Cattle rustling, which has now metamorphosed into kidnapping has since become a major threat to the survival of the people.
Most of the houses are only occupied during the day, but in the night all occupants leave to sleep in one place closer to a group of police officers assigned to protect the villagers.
Due to the complaints, the Kano State Police Commissioner, Rabi’u Yusuf, visited Karasa and other neighbouring villages.
Addressing the villagers, he assured them that a reinforcement would be deployed to end the activities of kidnappers and other criminals in the area.
Mr Yusuf asked residents and vigilante groups to continue to collaborate with the police in order to bring the situation under control.
On his part, the Chairman Doguwa Local Government, Aliyu Audu, said the government in collaboration with all security agencies was doing its best to bring the situation under control with the three abducted persons rescued.
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