The Birnin-Gwari Emirate Progressives’ Union (BEPU) has said gunmen has
kidnapped fifty persons in Damari town in the Eastern part of Birnin-Gwari in Kaduna State.
In a statement issued by the Chairman of BEPU, Ishaq Usman Kasai, he said in the last six days, the union has briefed the relevant authorities and the general public about the gruesome attacks by terrorist, bandits in Damari, following the retreat of Ansaru, which is a splinter group of Boko Haram from the area.
The statement read in part “the sad event in the last Seventy-two hours in DAMARI town of Kazage Ward in the Eastern part of Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area, Kaduna State has reached a catastrophic situation.”
“As at yesterday(Sunday) Bandits encircled DAMARI and abducted about 50 people, shortly before and after troops from Military field-base from Dogon-Dawa went to the town and escorted some remnants of the residents who were willing to move to comfort zones in neighbouring communities and even to as far away Zaria.”
“The most worrisome situation is where a pregnant woman was running away along with her colleagues and was left away by the fleeing groups where she fell down and delivered a baby boy but unfortunately, both the mother and the baby lost their lives instantly.”
“Damari is considered the largest town in the entire Eastern part of Birnin-Gwari and with this worrisome development, about 20 thousand persons including Women and Children are rendered internally displaced (IDPs).”
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The statement also added on Monday, that the bandits returned to the town unchallenged, burnt a vehicle, kidnapped scores, intercepted and rough-handled people, a serious development that mirrors the level of serious insecurity situation facing their community.
The union lamented the calamitous atrocities made by the bandits, stressing that DAMARI, the agrarian Community that yearly produced over 600 tonnes of maize grains abandoned their ancestral homes and farms for safety.
“BEPU is highly concerned about the ugly situation of the citizens of Birnin-Gwari LGA particularly those in the local communities whereby despite all efforts to draw the attention of higher authorities for action as entails in their constitutional responsibilities has failed.”
“BEPU is deeply sympathizing with all the people of Damari over these trials and assures them of continued efforts towards supporting them in all possible ways, especially in humanitarian emergency needs.”
“We would never relent on advancing engagement with Government, whose major and primary responsibility as enshrined in the Constitution is the protection of lives and properties of the citizenry, to do the needful.”
