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From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Terrorist warlords who have occupied large space of arable land in some communities in Birnin-Gwari local government area of Kaduna State have gone into big time farming, hiring locals as free labourers on the farms.
The State governor, Nasir El-rufai had few weeks ago cried out loud to President Muhammadu Buhari that terrorists were running parallel government in the State.
However, locals said it was better to serve as labourers to the terrorists than to be Kidnapped and killed by the same terrorists who have taken over their communities.
A statement on Sunday by the Chairman, Birnin-Gwari Emirate Progressive Union (BEPU), Ishaq Usman Kasai said the helpless locals have to accept the offer as labourers to the terrorists because it was part of negotiating conditions to also allow the locals access their own farms without molestation from the terrorists.
“Birnin-Gwari Emirate Progressives Union (Union) observes how farmers in various communities in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State have become so helpless and resorted to negotiations with armed bandits for them to be allowed to access their farmlands and cultivate crops. The armed bandits have been contacting these Communities for negotiations for about three years ago but did not accept until all hopes for help from the government were lost.
“In other situations, locals have to go for free labour in the farms of some bandits warlords for their freedom to live in their Communities and access to their farmlands. This despite several calls by the people to the government to come to their help.
“These communities are presently being governed by armed bandits. The armed bandits are seeing going round freely wielding different types of riffles unchallenged. Infact, the non-presence of democratic Government in the area is undoubtable.
“It is therefore based on this situation that the helpless locals were left with no other option than to accept the offer by the bandits for negotiation on access to farmlands.
“These negotiations have allowed farmers in various Communities that were sacked before by the armed bandits (such as Katakaki, Ganda, Mashigi, Ginsa, Biskin, Layin Mai-Gwari, Kwasa-Kwasa and many others) to have access to their farmlands that were not accessible for about three years ago.
“However, many farmers are in a state of uncertainty on whether these negotiations will last to allow all the farmers to harvest their crops at the end of the season.
“Some of the agreements reached at the negotiations on the side of the farmers include allowing the farmers to access their farmlands without kidnapping or any form of intimidation or harm by the armed bandits while the armed bandits should be allowed to be coming to towns and villages where the peace deals were entered for healthcare, buying and selling as well as any other normal business.
“Many bandits also farm in those Communities where these peace deals were entered. For instance, the notorious bandits warlord, Dogo Kachalla Gide, farms in Mashigi area where about five Tractors harrowed his large farm in the area. The farm, though under Birnin-Gwari soil, is neighbouring Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
“Despite the negotiations, though bandits may be said to have suspended kidnappings and attacks in some of these Communities, there are many cases where the armed bandits continued to snatch motorcycles and other valuables they found from farmers; though, with continuous consultations and discussion between the two sides’ negations teams, the breach of agreements are being addressed gradually by both sides.
“However, BEPU observes these negotiations as temporary short time measure because the helpless Communities entered it on the side of weakness which is also tantamount to total anarchy.
“Therefore, we wouldn’t relent on our continuous call to Government to adopt any measure, carrot or stick, it finds suitable and capable in controlling and preventing criminal and terrorist activities vis a vis bringing an end to anarchy in Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area and other parts of Nigeria.
“In the last three years, farming activities in Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area have been seriously crippled whereby about 70 percent of farmlands were not accessible by farmers. In many Communities in the area, farmers have paid millions of Naira individually and in groups before they were allowed to access their farmlands. This has continued up to present in some Communities”. The statement said.
