Marauding bandits have forced residents in Taraba State communities to leave their homes so that they can move in.

Security officials said certain areas of Taraba had been targeted by the bandits, who came from neighbouring states. This had been happening since the beginning of the year.

As the threats increased, many residents abandoned their homes for safety.

Ahmad Umar Gassol, a resident and a journalist in Taraba State, told RNI reporter Aisha SD Jamal that since early 2022, the state had been having increasing security issues, resulting in the loss of lives and properties.

He said at least 13 people had been killed by bandits in the village of Karakuka in the Gassol Local government area last week. Several people were wounded.

“The bandits have been occupying bushes and are now trying to dominate the communities too. They attack and kill residents or kidnap them, demanding a ransom for their return. They also beat and harass residents to such an extent that the villagers cannot even farm their lands and are forced to flee for safety.”

Umar Gassol said the communities that were under persistent attack included those in Bali, Garba Chede, Kurmi, Ibbi, Gashaka, Kare Kuka and Mutum Mbiyu.

“Previously, if new faces were seen by residents in a community, they reported it to the authorities. But now there has been an influx of new people, suspected to be coming from the Zamfara, Katsina and Kaduna states. They used to live in the bushes and were chased away by security agents. But now there are too many of them and they have become bold.

“The bandits claim Taraba is highly accessible to them and it also generates more money because the businesses are doing well and there are many well-off farmers. At first the bandits stayed in the bushes but now they are attacking residents and taking over their homes.”

Umar Gassol said during this rainy season they had stopped farmers from harvesting their produce, killing them or kidnapping them for ransom.

“When the residents are chased from their homes, they normally flee to Jalingo, the capital city, and stay in uncompleted buildings, in new suburbs or with their relatives. But many don’t have anywhere to stay.

“Authorities are not providing any relief assistance. They have to look for food and places to stay – no one is taking any responsibility for them and only a few treated them empathetically. Just about every morning more people come to the capital and they are in a pitiful state.”

Umar Gassol said the banditry was affecting agriculture because most farmers had already left and more were relocating to safer places to protect their lives, even though they depended on farming to make a living.

“They have abandoned their farms out of fear and it is a shame because they were expecting bumper harvests this year. Good harvests affect the prices of produce in the capital. A bumper harvest could mean prices would go down slightly because there was plenty to choose from. Now prices could go up because the farmers are just too afraid to go back to their lands.”

Umar Gassol said the state had begun to tighten security by bringing in more forces who were now working with vigilantes in the affected areas.

“But some people say the state has done too little too late. They believe the state should have acting quickly to quash the bandits. They are calling on authorities to provide more security in their communities and have asked for troops to be deployed in the most affected areas. They want to go back home where they can live and farm in peace.”

AISHA SD JAMAL