Residents flee Adamawa community over repeated bandits attacks

Residents of Kwapre and Dabna villages in the Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State have fled their homes over persistent attacks by bandits.

Kwapre, Dabna, Lar, Zah and other adjoining villages are in Garaha Ward, where the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, and the slain Nigerian Army Brigadier General, Dzarma Zurkusu, hailed from.

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According to a community leader in Garaha, Honorable Hyella, people fled Kwapre to escape being trapped.

“There are only seven persons left in Kwapre now; the rest have relocated to either Hong or Pella.”

“People have justifiable reasons to run for their lives, because 52 persons were abducted in April this year and only eight persons have returned home since then. Now that there’s a buildup of heavy presence of suspected bandits in the area again; the people have to run for their lives.

“People have to run because kidnappings happen on a daily basis. The bandits have begun to tax villagers; so far they’ve taxed Dabna, Sushiu, Lar, and many villages within the Duguba district to pay safety levies.”

A source, who preferred anonymity, said, “The people in Dabna have moved to Gombi, a nearby town and Hong. Few families are still there, may be about ten households or so,” he said.

Adamawa State Police spokesperson, DSP Suleiman Nguroje, confirmed the attacks in the area but did not go into details.

“Yes, there’s kidnap scare around those villages. Of course it’s normal for the people to be scared. But the Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Ahmed Barde, has directed the deployment of troops to safeguard the areas,” he said.