District Head, His Wife, Two Women, Kidnapped By Gunmen On Sunday In Plateau, Group Condemns Act

Yakubu Busari

The Kanam Development Association (KADA) is appalled by the recent kidnapping of the District Head of Birbyang (Alh. Zubairu Usman Garba) in Kanam Local Government Area and his wife, who was able to escape and is at home.

The kidnappers came with two women who were kidnapped from another community yesterday. We condemn this heinous act in the strongest possible terms and demand the immediate and unconditional release of the victims.

In a statement made available to this medium by ND Shehu Kanam *Secretary, Kanam Development Association (KADA) and Barr. Garba G. Aliyu, Chairman, Kanam Development Association (KADA) in Jos confirmed it.

However, our condemnation of this kidnapping incident is overshadowed by the glaring inadequacy of the response from our elected representatives. We do appreciate them for their efforts; however, the recent cash donation of sixty million Naira to the Garga community by the Member representing Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam in the National Assembly (Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi) and the fifteen million Naira donations by APC National Chairman (Professor Nentawe Yilwada), are nothing but a band-aid solution to a gaping wound. The concern is not the donations but the publicity with which the donations were made, which further exposed the communities to more incidents of kidnapping and banditry. Kidnappers and bandits flourish because of money, and when they see politicians donating money to the affected communities, they will intensify the criminal act of kidnapping and banditry. Early, we have warned that open money donations would only fuel the spread of the kidnapping in the affected communities.

A day after the donations, the kidnappers again stormed the Shuwaka community, whose village head was abducted and killed last week at the hands of the Kidnappers. Though the kidnappers could not succeed in their recent act, the community would have dealt with them properly if they were well-armed. We heard two of the kidnappers were arrested with the support of the community and are in secure custody. We call on the security to never compromise by using the arrested kidnappers to identify and deal with the rest.

The KADA notes that the root cause of the kidnapping and banditry menace is fueled by the promise of ransom and material resources that come with it. The constant flow of cash donations only serves to encourage the kidnappers and the bandits to perpetuate this cycle of violence against our people.

We call upon our leaders to shift their focus from cash handouts to more meaningful, concrete, and sustainable solutions. Specifically, we demand that our elected representatives and all government authorities prioritize the provision of firearms training for our vigilante groups. By empowering our communities with the means to defend themselves, we can create a deterrent effect that will make kidnappers think twice before targeting our people.

The Hon. Member is trying to politicize the security situation, given the way he stormed the affected communities as if he were on a campaign tour with a crowded entourage. We recall in 2020 when the same security challenges faced by the communities of Gum-Gagdi,Hakimi, Tudunwada, Nahuta, Gyogob, Takyirok, Dal, Basson, Gyambar, Zungum, Namaran, Bagyar, Kyamsegi and Dengi town, the Hon. Member did not organized a gathering and cash donations, but sent special anti-kidnapping squads from Abuja who excellently addressed the issue. Why is it that the same measure cannot be applied to address the current insecurity challenges facing the Garga area and, of recent, Kantana area.

We noted the total silence of the Executive Governor of Plateau State, Barr. Caleb Mutfwang as an endorsement of the killing of our people and the perpetuation of the insecurity in Kanam LGCA. Mr. Governor should please show leadership in addressing the insecurity challenges in Kanam and other parts of the state.

For the Executive Chairman of Kanam Local Government Council, we urged him to please relocate back to Dengi, the headquarters of the LGC and coordinate measures to address the security challenges facing his people. He should as a matter of urgency call for critical stakeholders meeting and ensure effective collaboration beyond party lines to help bring the issue to an end.

The KADA will not be swayed by token gestures or publicity stunts. We demand action, not words. Our people deserve better than to be held hostage by kidnappers, and our leaders must do more to protect us.

Instead of publicizing cash donations by the politician, we therefore urge them to, Prioritize the training and arming of vigilante groups to enhance community security as well as develop a comprehensive security strategy that addresses the root causes of kidnapping. The security situation should not be politicized using cash donations and unnecessary media propaganda.

The Kanam Development Association stands in solidarity with the people of Birbyang District and the entire Kanam Local Government Area in this difficult time. We demand justice and security for our people, and we will not rest until our demands are met.