According to Birnin-Gwari Emirate Progressives’ Union, the Ansaru terrorist group has banned political activities in various communities in Kaduna State’s Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area’s Eastern region (BEPU), Northwest Nigeria.
The BEPU Chairman, Ishaq Kasai, who first raised the issue, claimed that the group frequently enlists young locals and marries off young girls in the neighborhood.
He claims that the Ansaru group has camps in seven of the easternmost political wards outside of the Local Government jurisdiction.
He added that anyone discovered in the neighborhoods under their authority with posters of any political party usually gets beat up by the militants.
The Chairman claimed that the Ansaru group is still expanding in the region where locals, especially young people, are being recruited.
“In fact the group continue to gain acceptance from many members of the communities particularly in Old Kuyello and Damari of Kazage Ward. Even this week, two members of the group were engaged for wedding with two girls and will be tying the nuptial knots by the coming Saturday.
“The Ansaru (grooms) laid down some rules to the in-laws for the wedding. They ruled that, after the wedding, they will take the brides to the forests and live there with them and do not want the brides to go along with any furniture except plates (coolers) and mattresses because anything other than that is not in tandem with their beliefs and and convictions.
“A disturbing scenario is where the group banned all political activities in many communities such as Damari of Kazage Ward. Politicians from these communities have to go far away secretly to the neighboring communities before they hold political meetings.
“For instance this week an Okada rider who lives in Unguwar Makera of Kazage Ward was seen with a sticker of one of the candidates vying for the Kaduna State House of Assembly and he was thoroughly beaten by the Ansaru.
“People in these communities are now disenchanted and frustrated about participating in political activities.
“We don’t know how the coming Elections will take place in those areas because even the last Local Government Election did not hold in the Area due to the escalating insecurity which made the election results to be declared inconclusive and a Sole Administrator was appointed overseeing the affairs the Local Government up till now.
“In short, the Ansaru are now in charge of many of the communities in area and the group is expanding its occupation. They now call the shot and determine what is to be done in the villages they are dominating,”‘ he said.
He claimed that despite the worrying development, state authorities have given no effective response, which has alarmed the populace.
“Our communities are being attacked, people kidnapped and killed daily without a response, acknowledgement or report from Government.
“We call on Government to please organise a coordinated security operation both aerial and ground to the hideouts of these criminals in our forests in order to flush them and stop daily killings of our people by the unchallenged terrorists groups surrounding our communities,” he said.
Recall that News Central reported that Ansaru Militants on Saturday abducted a Kaduna State Government aid worker in Northwest Nigeria with a demand for Police and other Security Forces to vacate the areas. The assailants kidnapped the victim in the Birnin Gwari area of the State.