Leaders of the Ruruma Community in Southern Kaduna State have called on the Federal Government to establish a military base in the community due to the hardship they have been through as a result of the insecurity in the state.

This is even as they said that they have paid billions of Naira in ransom to kidnappers.

The zone, like some parts of the country suffering from insecurity, had been dealing with the payment of ransom, killing, and inability to go to the farm and even harvest their crops for some time now.

Recently, the Ruruma community, frustrated by the development, decided to voice out their concern and called on the authorities to come to their aid.

According to a statement signed by their National President, Mr. Daniel Dallah, the community alleged that a staggering amount not less than N1 billion in ransom has been paid out to bandits and kidnappers by the communities in the last two years.

They said in the recent past, not less than 13 people have been brutally killed, and over 200 abducted by kidnappers.

“There has been a continued escalation of insecurity in our communities, leading to brutal killing and displacement of community members,” they said

“A former CBN director was abducted in Kwasam where millions were paid as ransom. Also, communities like Fagen Rawa, Kaibi, Kusheka, Fadei, Ruruma, Rafin Rimi, Kurera, Kitimi, Kakude and Kiwollo are all displaced by bandits.

“Bandits have rendered our communities incapacitated, as farmers are afraid to go to their farms for fear of being killed or kidnapped for ransom.” the statement said.

Before now, the umbrella organization of all Southern Kaduna people, the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) had also called for military assistance to the communities.

Apart from military assistance, the last leadership of the union led by a one-time member of the House of Representatives, Jonathan Asake, had also contemplated the setting up of a security outfit like the one in the South West, Amotekun.

The former SOKAPU National President had said: “As a peace-loving people, who do not want anything to happen to us and our desire to live in peace with all and sundry, irrespective of any difference, we are forced to look elsewhere for the protection of our people and we strongly believe that a security outfit such as Amotekun is an answer to our much-desired peace in Southern Kaduna.”

Recently, the state Governor, Mallam Uba Sani, pardoned repentant Bandits, who had decided to lay down their arms and renounce banditry.

The governor, who spoke in Birnin Gwari, where he received the first set of repentant bandits, noted that he wants to be fair as a panacea towards tackling insecurity in the state.

“I will be fair to everyone, be they farmers, herders and traders, to achieve lasting peace and development,” Mr Sani stated.

Sani added: ‘’Through numerous meetings and extensive discussions, we have built bridges of trust. Several senior bandit leaders had laid their arms and embraced peace, along with their followers.

“This programme adheres to international standards of disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration, ensuring that these individuals can return to society as productive citizens,’’ he said.

The governor warned that the rehabilitation of the repentant bandits was based on the principle of carrot and stick.

“While we welcome those who chose peace, we will not hesitate to take decisive action against anyone, who continues to perpetuate violence.

“The security, law enforcement and intelligence agencies have already achieved significant results, neutralising bandits’ kingpins, dismantling criminal networks and rescuing kidnapped victims,’’ the governor stressed.

However, on how to end banditry and kidnapping in their area, the Ruruma community said what was needed was a military base to assist them dislodge the criminal elements.

The community appealed to President Bola Tinubu’s administration to establish a military presence in Kwasam, its local government headquarters to halt escalating killings and abduction of their people by bandits.

The National President stressed that establishing a military presence in the Kwasam area would not only bring stability to the region but also help restore normalcy in neighbouring vulnerable communities that have been displaced over the years.

“The military formation in the Kwasam axis will enable the communities that have been displaced to return to their ancestral land as they have abandoned their farms and farm produce. Currently, our Chief, Alhaji Dauda Abdulsalam, the Pogom Kumana, for some years, has not been at home, due to escalating insecurity in the region.

“Bandits have continued to occupy surrounding communities and farmlands unchallenged by security operatives.” He lamented.

Also speaking on how to find solutions to the challenges, the Chairman of the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) Kaduna State chapter, Luka Binniyat, said the people desire more military formations and presence in Southern Kaduna as a whole.

However, he said that the formation of the Volunteers Citizens Guards, where youths from the Middle Belt will be trained to assist the military will be an added advantage.

Comrade Binniyat told Sunday Telegraph: “We very much desire more military and police formations in Southern Kaduna, being the larger part of Kaduna State. Kaduna State has a landmass of about 46,000 sq.km with 23 LGAs. Southern Kaduna occupies 26,000 sq.km and has 12 LGs. Yet, 80 per cent of military formations in Kaduna State are in the northern part. So, we need more permanent military presence.”

He, however, said the way forward is a very simple: “We have always maintained in the MBF. We have millions of able bodied youths that are educated, easy to train and imbued with basic security training. And most of them are very willing to assist the military as Volunteers Citizens Guards. Why not train them and give them rudimentary arms?

“With their sheer numbers and under the command of professional soldiers, I bet you that we can wipe out these bandits under a month. Imagine the billions of dollars or trillion of Naira used in importing jets and sundry arms and the little results we are getting. Deploy a fraction of that into training and arming our idle and willing youths and see the results.”

According to him:” It is the refusal of the government to heed to this simple suggestions that makes us doubt the political will of the government to end this evil.”

He, however, said the volume of attacks has reduced in the recent past, unlike what opens years ago, adding that, “the mass invasion, mass killings and arson in Zangon Kataf, Kaura, Jemaa, Sanga and Kachia LGAs parts of the Middle in Southern Kaduna has reduced drastically by about 90 per cent. We praise the efforts of the Nigeria military on this. But that has been replaced by mass kidnappings, target individuals and random kidnapping by bandits.”

Binniyat, who alleged that those attacking the Southern Kaduna part of the middle belt are “Fulani Ethnic Militia” (FEM) also alleged that apart from the violence, they have “placed taxes on some captured communities before they can farm and before they can harvest their crops.”