How Terrorists Walked Freely With AK-47 Rifles In Kaduna During Sallah, Asked Residents To Rebel Against FG

In what will come across as a really startling development, terrorists have been spotted moving freely in Kaduna communities.

According to Daily Trust, members of the Ansaru terrorists group are now openly preaching rebellion against the Nigerian government in many villages of Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

People in the affected communities said that the terrorists were carrying out the rebellious preaching as part of their activities to mark this year’s Eid-el-Kabir festival. 

It was reported that the terrorists were trying to convince the locals to accept their kind of religion which abhors democracy, Western education and respect for constituted authorities.

Recall that over two months ago during the Eid-el-Fitr festival, the terrorists had gone round communities in the state and shared candies and other edibles such as Sallah gifts, but at this time, they took time to interact with the locals, persuading them to acquire arms and launch a rebellious attack on the government, while reassuring them of protection against bandits.v

Quoting from a two-page pamphlet from the terrorist group, Daily Trust reported that they berated the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government.

The terror group said that President Buhari government failed to protect the lives and property of the people and urged them reject calls to make a change in the country through electoral process.

It was gathered that the terrorists had been preaching their anti-government and anti-democracy stance in the communities since Saturday when the Eid el-Kabir Sallah day sarted in full without hindrance or challenge from any authority.

According to eyewitnesses, the terror group has been carrying out their preaching in villages including Damari, Unguwar Gajere, Kakini, Kuyello and Kwasa Kwasa in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area where they visited on Monday.

One of the sources said that “During their propagation, the terrorists, who are mostly young men, moved on dozens of motorcycles decked with flags with Arabic inscriptions.

“They tongue-lashed the federal, state and local authorities, arguing that democracy is against the teaching of Islam. They also called out Muslim clerics who call for prayers for democratic leaders.

“But the most dangerous trend this time around is the call by the terrorists for people to source for arms and fight the government.

“They back their claims by wrongly interpreting some verses of the Holy Qur’an and prophetic sayings. They say people would continue to suffer until they forcefully changed their leaders.”

Recall that two months ago, it was reported that the Ansaru terrorists group infiltrated many villages in many Local Government Areas of Kaduna, Katsina and Zamfara states.

Reports have it that during their visits to the communities in the last three days, they shared hundreds of leaflets to people who gathered to listen to their preaching.

Another source said that “They talk to people openly and without any fear. They don’t even cover their faces. They wore military gear and carried high-calibre weapons like AK47 and anti-aircraft missiles.

“They are so confident of themselves that they move in broad daylight.

“You will not be wrong if you say they are the landlords here because of fear of the unknown, our people are willing to listen to them any time.

“However, the implication of what is happening is that they are gradually convincing our people and this is dangerous.”

It was also gathered that apart from preaching rebellion against the government, they also settled marital disputes among the people.

A source quoted by Daily Trust said that “If a husband and wife are having issues, they go to the terrorists’ leaders to settle the matter. The terrorists also adjudicate on matters relating to farms, trade among others.

“The claim that they don’t control territories is unfounded. They control our lives; they jail offenders.”

The sources said that the Ansaru terrorists and many other criminals are moving and carrying out their activities in the communities because there is no symbol of authority.

“They have sacked all the police posts in the areas where they operate and you don’t even see civil defence, customs or immigration officials; our communities are no man’s land now.

“We only see soldiers patrolling the area from time to time and this does not scare the terrorists from doing what they like.

“The situation is worse in Birnin Gwari LGA,” a man from one of the villages said.

Meanwhile, a security expert, Salihu Bakhari, was quoted as saying that what is happening in the North West and parts of the North Central is a replica of what happened in the North East 13 years ago.

“There is no difference at all. The terrorists are on a territorial conquest, and they are quietly attracting the sympathy of the people.

“We have many ungovernable spaces and these miscreants are mischievously taking advantage of civil authority to do what they like. We should checkmate them.

“We can only rescue the people and avert humanitarian crises in the future by taking the war to their fortresses and then massively deploying police, forest guards, immigration and then also involving traditional rulers in what we do,” he said.

The Nigerian military and police authorities have not commented on the latest reported activities of the terror group.