By Mike Odeh James and Luka Binniyat
(Kaduna) His head is covered with snow-white hair, and he walks like an infirm man in his 70s – not the 58-year-old retired civil servant that he is. But with nine family members held hostage by kidnappers and tortured daily by Christian-hating Islamist killers, who can blame him?
Mr Dio Awenmi Maisamari, the former leader of the Southern Kaduna People’s Union (SOKAPU) told TruthNigeria in an exclusive chat, Sunday (29/09/09) that, like thousands of householders in Adara land, depression and trauma has rushed them into old age and various illnesses for those who are still alive
“We will never forget Friday, September 6, 2024,” he said.
“I was preparing to visit my priest at St Dominic St. Augustine Catholic Church, Kasuwan Magani,” Kajuru County, about 20 miles Southeast of Kaduna city, Northwest Nigeria, Maisamari said.
“It was on my way that my younger brother, Clement Maisamari called, to drop a terrible message to me,” he said.
“Clement, who is my brother and most close confidant, told me that his wife, Anna and five of their children had been kidnapped from their farm in my village, Kufana by armed herdsmen — to add to the number of my family already abducted by Fulani bandit-terrorists in the past,” he said. The majority-Muslim tribe known as Fulani numbers 9 million in Nigeria and is known for cattle herding and radical Islamist enthusiasm.
Kufana is a picturesque Adara community on a hill, about 35 miles South of Kaduna city.
According to him, the terrorists called on the same day to demand a staggering N20 million Naira ($13,000 dollars) in ransom,” said Maisamari, whose name is synonymous with suffering persecution in 2019. In that year he and 9 other tribal leaders had been put in a squalid prison for more than 100 days by former Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna state. The elders had accused the high-handed governor for complicity in the abduction and killing of Adara traditional leader in 2019.
Dio said that as he grappled with the thought of raising such an enormous sum, he got another call by 9 pm the same day from his 23-year-old son, David.
“Two of my daughters (Jammima, 14, Tonia, 16 my male cousin, Zebedee 25) have been kidnapped by Fulani terrorists in Libere, where they had gone to attend a family function,” David said.
Libere is an Adara farming- and fishing- village of about 100 houses, close to the bank of river Kaduna, about 35 miles Southeast of Kaduna city, now under the control of terrorist-bandits.
He said that David, who was at the event, narrowly escaped being kidnapped.
“Of my children, no one has made contact all these days,” he said.
“The police and military have no information for me,” he said.
“So, I have a total of 9 family members with terrorists for 20 days today, and I have no hint on how to raise money for ransom for the other ones, and I have no idea where my children are,” he said.
This is a common ordeal for the Adara tribe, who are mainly Christians and are found in Kajuru county, majority parts of Kachia county and in other communities in Chikun county in Southern Kaduna.
Bandit-terrorists turns Libere to vassal village
Rosemary Dalhatu John, a 37-year-old farmer and mother of six from Gashe, Kachia county, shares her harrowing experience to Truth Nigeria in Kaduna town.
“As we speak, Libere is under Fulani terrorist control.
“They restrict farm access, demanding half our crops as ‘tax.’”
“Their cattle freely graze on our lands. If we complain, we risk kidnapping or death, and it’s useless reporting to the military, because they won’t come,” she said.
Bandits Kill 3, Abduct 30 During Church Service
Terrorists, two weeks ago, on September desecrated two hallowed churches, killing three worshipers and abducting 30 in Maro ward, Kajuru county, Truth Nigeria has learned.
The assailants are said to be armed Muslim Fulani herdsmen, infamous for banditry and kidnapping in Nigeria.
Hon. Danlami Usman Stingo, a member of the Kaduna State House of Assembly (KDHA), representing Kajuru County, told TruthNigeria reporters that the attacks occurred at a village called Bakinpa, under Maro ward, Kajuru county, about 80 miles South of Kaduna metropolis.
Bakinpa is a small community of the Christian Adara ethnic group.
Simultaneous attacks
“The terrorists came in scores just when the 8 am mass had just started at the Catholic Church in Bakinpa,” Stingo said.
“They came and shot dead Monday John, 54, and kidnapped some worshipers,” he said.
On the previous Sunday, as if to rehearse for the next attack, the armed Fulani herdsmen had invaded the Catholic Church, stole all the phones of the parishioners, all earrings and trinkets of the women, bicycles and motorcycles of the congregation and left without harming anyone.
“The Catholic Church was attacked at the same time that another group of the same terrorists were attacking the ECWA (Evangelical Church Winning All) church in the village,” he said
Two worshipers were killed in the ECWA church invasion, and pastor Bernard Gajere, who was ministering the service session, was kidnapped with other worshipers, he told TN. The two murdered worshipers are: Paul Auta, 34 and Simon Alfred, 60 all married with children, he said.
After the commotion, it was discovered that 22 people had been kidnapped by the terrorists the previous Sunday, Stingo said.
“On the 8th of September, these terrorists had invaded the same Bakinpa, looted the village and abducted 8 people – six women and two boys,” he said.
“So, the total number of kidnapped Christians from Bakinpa is 30” he added.
Terrorist camps well known to locals and troops
“The most painful part of this evil is that we know the camps of these bandits. In fact, even the military and other security forces know their location,” he said.
“We have begged them to come, and we will lead. We just want them to give us cover, but they have refused,” he said.
“Their camps are around Wansa and Maska village on the boundary between Kajuru and Kachia Local Government Area (county),” he said.
Stingo said he cannot understand the unwillingness of the military command to go for the bandits who are hiding in plain sight carrying out the crime against his constituents for years now.
Ishaya Onnusim, Adara Youth leader, who also confirmed the attack, said that Adara land was under siege by Fulani herdsmen.
“It’s true that they attacked Bakinpa and killed three people last Sunday,” he said.
“Yes, they kidnapped about 23 people that day,” he added
Locals can dislodge bandits if allowed
“But this is what has been going on almost every week in Adara land,” he said.
“Are you aware that the Fulani bandits attacked a clinic in Kallah town, (Kallah ward, Kajuru county) and kidnapped two nurses and some patients?” he asked.
“We know their camps, and we can dislodge them if our vigilante (civilian volunteer guards) get the permission to do so. Because any time our boys come out in good numbers ready to face the terrorists, Soldiers will appear and scatter them and even arrest some of them for simply holding single-shot pipe guns,” he said.
All attempts to get confirmation from the police spokesman, Kaduna State Police Officer Mansir Alhassan, went unanswered.
Luka Binniyat and Mike Odeh are conflict reporters who write for TruthNigeria from Kaduna
