Terrorists have attacked Damari community in Birnin Gwari Emirate, Birnin Gwari local government area of Kaduna state, and kidnapped 50 residents, forcing others to flee the community to safer areas.
As people were running away following the terror attack, a pregnant woman was left behind in the process of trying to catch up with the rest of people, went into forced labour and birth to a baby boy, though both mother and child later died.
Speaking in a statement on Monday, Chairman Birnin Gwari Emirate Progressives’ Union, BEPU, Malam Ishaq Usman Kasai, said the frequent attacks by bandits on the community has forced resident to desert the town, leading to a large IDP camp of over 1,000 people.
“Birnin Gwari Emirate Progressives’ Union ,BEPU, has been, in the last five days, alerting the relevant authorities and the general public on the cruel, wicked and heartless attacks by terrorists in Damari, following the withdrawal of Ansaru ,a splinter group of Boko Haram, from the area.
“The sad event in the last 72 hours in Damari town of Kazage Ward in the Eastern part of Birnin Gwari Local Government Area Kaduna State has reached a catastrophic situation. As at yesterday ,Saturday, bandits encircled Damari and abducted about 50 people, shortly before and after troops from military field-base from Dogon Dawa went to the town and escorted some remnants of the residents who were willing to move to comfort zones in neighbouring communities and even to far away Zaria.
“The most worrisome situation is where a pregnant woman was running away along her colleagues and was left behind by the fleeing groups where she fell down and delivered a baby boy but unfortunately, both the mother and the baby lost their lives instantly. Damari is considered as the largest town in the entire Eastern part of Birnin Gwari and with this worrisome development, about 20,000 persons including women and children are rendered internally displaced.
“Even today, the bandits returned to the town unchallenged, burnt a vehicle, kidnapped scores, intercepted and maltreated people, a serious development that reflects the level of serious insecurity situation facing our community. This calamitous attrocities of armed bandits have made, Damari, the agrarian community that yearly produced over 600 tonnes of maize grains abandon their ancestral homes and farms for safety.
“BEPU is highly concerned on the ugly situation of the citizens of Birnin Gwari LGA particularly those in the local communities whereby despite all efforts to draw the attention of higher authorities for action as entailed in their constitutional responsibilities, have failed.
“BEPU is deeply sympathising with all the people of Damari over this trials and assures them of continued efforts towards supporting them in all possible ways especially in humanitarian emergency needs and would never relent on advancing engagement with Government, whose major and primary responsibility as enshrined in the Constitution is the protection of lives and properties of the citizenry, to do the needful,” Kasai said.
