Banditry Left Us With 500 Widows, 1,600 Orphans –Katsina Traditional Leader

Activities of armed bandits in Batsari Local Government Area of Katsina State have killed many men and women, forcing no fewer than 500 women to become widows and over 1,600 children to become orphans, district head of Batsari, Alhaji Muhammad Mu’azu, has said.

According to PUNCH, Mu’azu said about four million cows, which are mainly bulls, were rustled by bandits in the area.

He said, “The losses are unquantifiable. I cannot actually quantify the losses in terms of monetary value. I will only say the monetary losses are in millions of naira. For instance, how much can bring back those who were killed by the bandits? You cannot quantify the loss of a single human being in terms of naira and kobo.

“Yet, we have lost over 300 people to the bandits. The bandits killed our innocent, able-bodied men and women. Specifically, the bandits have killed at least 300 men. Because of the deaths, we now have no fewer than 500 widows and 1,600 orphans.

“Also, the model school where the internally displaced persons are taking refuge is filled to the brim because of the bandits’ activities. Apart from disrupting our farming activities, the bandits rustled between three million and four million cows which are mainly bulls.

“Also, our children could not go to school anymore in all the areas that the bandits attacked because of their safety. Some of the children are being relocated to other places considered safer.”

Bandits attacks and kidnappings have been on the rise in Katsina State in recent times, leaving many deaths and displacement behind in its trail.

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