Fleeing terrorists settle in Kaduna villages, hoist flags

Dispersed terrorists from Zamfara have landed in Kaduna, and are making moves to establish themselves there without necessarily hurting their hosts.

It’s a familiar strategy, resident Saulawa and Damari in Birnin Gwari LGA of Kaduna said.

The terrorists, suspected to be members of Ansaru known for kidnapping in the northwest, came on a large motorcade of motorcycles—up to 400, according to a report by the Daily Trust.

When they flooded the communities in 2019, the terrorists made a pact with the villagers. And the two cohabited peacefully as the bandits went far away for their kidnapping while the communities looked on in exchange for freedom form fears of being attacked at home and on their farms.

But the criminals ruptured the agreement when they killed scores of people in the communities.

Now that they are back, they have started preaching to the villagers—to calm them down.

The deal this time may be different as the bandits have hoisted two flags there, according to villagers who are already sneaking out of the areas, moving to Zaria, and other towns nearby.

The kinetic response in Zamfara might not have factored in the consequence of dispersing the terrorists the military is pounding inside the forests.

Neighbouring states, including Sokoto, Kaduna, and Niger are gradually coming under the criminalities of the terrorist displaced now.

The Kaduna police command said it had yet to receive any security report on the ingress of the criminals.