(AIT) – People of Batsari local government area of Katsina state which is one of the 8 front line councils affected by the activities of bandits, kidnappers and cattle rustlers have called for urgent security attention to avert hunger in the land.
The locals say over 50 villages have so far been attacked by the bandits putting the number of internally displaced persons, idps at about 4,000 with most of them being women and children.
The idps scattered all over the main town of batsari are seen either seeking refuge in uncompleted buildings or the palace of the district head of the area.
For the fear of been attacked at night, the idps return to their homes which are barely minutes drive from the main town which according to some women, they go and return daily.
The 25-year old sakina bare-bari who has 4 children to cater for is one of the many idps. According to her, they need to go back home to find what to feed their families with as, their husbands have either been killed or have escaped from the bandits to unknown places.
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She also said, while escaping to Batsari town, some pregnant women gave birth on the road which is an experience better imagined than to witnessed.
Another 27-year old woman, binta bare-bari said, with the resurgence of attacks on their communities, all they seek are palliatives from the government and the security that will enable them go back to their farm lands.
AIT.Live gathered that with the daily movement of the IDPs to and from their villages, they sometimes do not have money for transport fares which according to a road transport worker Lawal Maman, they assist them as part of their contribution to ease the hardship without charging them a dime.
The district head of batsari, tukur mu’azu whose palace is serving as shelter for some IDPS called on the government to assist saying, he has run out of foodstuff to feed the displaced persons.
He further lamented that the hunger being experienced by the people kills more than the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic.
He is also of the view that, if nothing is done in the area of security, hunger will be the order of the day adding that, there were no farming activities last season which will be worse this year from all indications.
Reacting to these concerns, the special adviser on security to the governor, ibrahim katsina said, with the current approach been taken by the government, all IDPS will return to their homes before the farming season finally sets in.
although, the farm lands are still dried and uncultivated even as the rainy season sets in, if the assurances given by the government come to reality, the locals are expected to be back to their farms anytime soon.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
