Although for quite sometimes now, violent attacks from gangs in Kaduna State tend to have relatively disappeared. In times past, activities of gangs such as Sara-Suka who engages in snatching peoples valuables was common, the group made up of youths engages in taking and smoking of hard drugs resulting into inflicting injuries on their victims who attempt to struggle with them in their efforts to take away their valuables such as phones, wallets and money forcefully.
The government of the day decided to follow up their case and rendered them useless, leading to the arrest of some of them, while some others were forced to relocate from areas where their activities were common to other places for fear of being arrested. Kaduna residents particularly in areas where these group of bad boys operated began to enjoy some relief.
But lately, it appears that another groups of bad boys whose name is yet to be known may be emerging. This perhaps was the case in recent violent attacks which took place in parts of the state a week ago leading to the death of two persons and imposition of 24-hour curfew on the troubled area of Sabon Garin Nassarawa-Tirkaniya area of Chikun local government area of the State.
Findings revealed that trouble started on that Sunday when a lady who was returning from Church was attacked by a gang of boys stabbing her and forcefully doing away with a phone. It was further gathered that the victim’s brother who also belong to another group of Gangstar mobilized his friends for revenge and in the process of the revenge two of them were killed although their details not known.
Worried by the development and to avoid escalation of the crisis into a bigger one, the State Government decided to place a 24 hour on the troubled area and deployed security personnel to the area to restore peace. In a brief statement issued to that effect, the Commissioner, Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said “the decision was reached following a breakdown of law and order which led to the killing of two citizens in an incident of urban gang violence.
The statement said, “Security agencies have been directed to enforce the curfew in the said location, to restore order as investigations proceed. Citizens are therefore urged to strictly observe the curfew in this location, which takes effect immediately.
In a follow up update on the crisis that lead to the imposition of the 24 curfew which was subsequently relaxed, the Kaduna State government banned social activities linked to violence in Nasarawa, Sabon Garin Nasarawa communities of Chikun LGA after three suspects were arrested in relation to killing of the two citizens.
“The Kaduna State Government has banned social activities linked with The violence of Sunday night and Monday which left two citizens dead and six others injured in Sabon Garin-Tirkaniya area of Chikun LGA.
“The decision was taken after a thorough appraisal of the security situation by the military, police and Department of State Services, as well as an emergency meeting with traditional and religious leaders of the area at the 312 Artillery Regiment Kaduna.
“The social activities observed in the community, which are now prohibited with immediate effect are listed as follows: Kidan Bishi, Kidan Gala and Hunting expeditions. The government also directed the arrest of anyone linked with the peddling of hard drugs in Nasarawa and Sabon Garin Nasarawa.
“Furthermore, three suspects have been arrested in connection with the violence. In addition to the killing of two citizens, six persons were injured and are presently receiving medical attention. Several vehicles and properties were also destroyed”.
Another notorious dark spot in Kaduna now is in Ungwan samari also known as Ungwan Gado in Malali Kaduna North local government area where boys take cover close to a popular hotel in the area to engage in hard drugs and caused nuisance to people around there. Only recently the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) raided the area and arrested some of the boys. In the said area, a pastor popularly known as Baba Miracle who engages in early morning preaching was attacked on his way to church and inflicted with injuries after collecting his phone. A resident of the area who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonimyty disclosed that most of the boys who carried out such acts don’t leave around the neighborhood but comes from places like Rigasa, Kawo and badarawa to perpetrate the attack after smoking hard drugs and run away.
In yet another area known as black street in Sabon Tasha of Chikun local government area, boys whom it was alleged enjoy security back up to take hard drugs for which some security personnel also partake takes the effect of the drugs a step further by harrasing people in the area and collect money and valuables from victims who patronize a bank ATM around there.
Another dark spot is a location around Narayi also in Chikun local government area where both boys and girls gather early morning and late evenings to smoke Indian helm, however these set of people are not known for violence.
Speaking on the situation, Mr Andrew Katuka who lives in ungwan Gado, he said, ” The activities of this boys after they may have smoked their Igbo (Marijuana or Indian hemp) is worrisome because anybody could be their victim. My advice is for constant security presence in their identified spot, it is more worrisome that even those arrested get released after some days and they return back to the acts again” he said.
In the same.vein, the director Kaduna State Bureau for Substance Abuse, Prevention and Treatment (KADBUSA) Dr Joseph Maigari has said that drug abuse is one of the root causes of banditry and insecurity in Nigeria and has become pandemic in the country.
Dr Maigeri stressed that the prevalence of substance abuse started many years back when Nigeria became a transit point for drug traffickers to Europe, adding that the inadequate efforts to address the challenge through supply side, while leaving the demand side contributed immensely to the huge growth of the challenge.
“There are consequences of substance abuse in terms of banditry and security challenges in the country. It’s actually a pandemic. About 10.9% of people in Kaduna state are involved in drug abuse, it is a huge problem from when Nigeria was a transit country to Europe.
“That was when we should have started planning to address it. Some efforts were made in drug supply reduction space through NDLEA and other security agencies but now it’s clear that it is not supply side alone because there is the demand side. That is why in Kaduna state we are looking at it from both the demand and supply sides. We have made progress in the demand reduction as Kaduna state was the first to engage in legislative and legal framework.
“Drug abuse is the next big problem on health, that is why there is need for adequate sensitisation, public enlightenment and education to achieve behavioural change and ensure that young people stay away from drug abuse, which is why Kaduna state government decided to engage all the people involved in the demand side from government and non government bodies.”
Meanwhile, Kaduna State police command through the Spokesperson DSP Muhammad Jalige said, they are prepared more than ever before to check activities of gangstars who are causing crisis in the State untill they are completely rooted out. ” We will not allow them any breathing space in and outside their hideouts until there is no hiding place for trouble makers in the state” he said.
Living a crisis free society is a possibility but it takes all hands to be on deck to achieve it. Those in the habit of taking hard drugs to inflict pains on others must have rethink while security agencies must also up their game to check the excesses of such deviants.