*’We’re In Dire Straits, Help Us’
By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
With sorrowful demeanor, leaders and residents of Kaso, a predominantly Gbagyi sub-urban community located in Chikun Local Government Area (LGA) of Kaduna State, today reeled off heart-rending tales of woe of their travails at the hands of terrorists.
At a protest media briefing, they revealed how attacks by the terrorists led, since 2016, to loss of lives of many of their relatives, the shutting down of the only primary healthcare centre in the area, closure of 13 primary schools and displacement of original occupants of 18 villages there.
The mainly farming community also disclosed the kidnap of scores of their kinsmen and women, some freed after painful sourcing and payment of hefty ransoms, others still in the captivity of the terrorists due to non-payment of ransom.
According to them, these losses are aside numerous motorcycles and other valuables snatched at gunpoint by the enemies of society.
Addressing the press briefing in Maraban Rido, leader of Kaso Youth Forum Kaduna, Hon. (Prince) Obadiah Baba Kasoiza, alongside the displaced senior village heads and other victims, said they were compelled to bring their suffering to the public domain through the media owing to constant attacks on their community by terrorists.
They called on the State Governor, Malam Uba Sani, to listen to their account of happenings in the community so as to grasp the true picture and situation of insecurity in the entire Kaso area.
Some of the towns bordering the displaced villages include Rido, Maraban Rido, Rijana forest, Kakau, Abuja road, Kujama, Buda, Gyengere and Tantatu in Kajuru LGA of Kaduna State.
Afraid for the future, they raised the alarm on renewed security threats to farmers in the community’s parts close to Kaduna metropolitan City, the state capital.
Going back in history, Prince Kasoiza recalled that there was relative peace and serenity in Kaso community immediately after Gov. Sani assumed office in 2023, following the murderous depredations by terrorists during the preceding administration of Nasir El-Rufai, with many farmers even returning to their settlements and economic activities greenshooting to life.
But these, he said, came to a halt from November, 2025, when fresh acts of terrorism dramatically staged a comeback in their area.
Kasoiza lamented: “Within this period of three months, from November 2025 till date, lives have been lost, almost 30 motorcycles have been snatched by bandits.
“In December last year only, over 50 persons were kidnapped, millions of Naira, alongside motorcycles, were given and paid for ransom before their release.
“Also, in the month of January to this first week of February 2026, many were kidnapped, some have been released after payment of ransom, while many are still under the captivity of the bandits.
“As it stands now, as a community, our confidence in government who is supposed to protect lives and properties of its citizens is demoralized. Our hope of participating in the agricultural activities in the next coming rainy season is uncertain.”
Further counting the community’s losses, he said personal properties were destroyed, churches and mosques leveled due to forceful displacement of the inhabitants by the terrorists.
“Hundreds of motorcycles have been snatched by the armed bandits from before November to date; hundreds of motorcycles have been purchased and given to bandits for ransom. Millions of Naira have been paid for ransom of our beloved ones.
“Due to constant attacks on Kaso community by armed bandits, we deemed it fit to call the attention of His Excellency the Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Uba Sani, to the true picture and situation of insecurity in the entire Kaso community.
“Being part of Kaduna metropolitan City, Kaso, on the west bordered with Kakau, on the north side, it bordered with Rido, Maraban Rido and Kujama; on the eastern side, it bordered with Buda, Gyengere and Tantatu in Kajuru Local Government, while on south it bordered with Rijana forest,” the youth leader explained.
Painting another grim picture of their current situation, Kasoiza said that 25% of the people living in Maraban Rido Kadansa are internally displaced persons from Kaso, “while 20% of people living in Kujama today are refugees from Kaso who are willing to go back to their ancestral land.”
On the consequences of the attacks, he said: “As a result of these incessant attacks on the entire area by armed bandits, socio-economic activities in the area have totally been incapacitated.
“Educational activities in the area have been halted and also, there is no more any primary healthcare centre that is still functioning in the entire area since the beginning of these relentless attacks by the armed bandits from 2016 till date.”
Proffering solutions, they called on Gov. Sani to, as a matter of urgency, facilitate the establishment of a military strike force at Kurmin Kaso to curtail terrorism in the area.
Aside that, they requested that the three major roads into the area be constructed for easy access and to revive socio-economic activities and minimize insecurity.
“We request that the 13 LEA/UBE primary schools that have been shut down, be reopened in order to secure the educational future of our children,” Kasoiza demanded, stressing too that no relief materials from government circles had been given the people, though, he claimed, the LG Chairman, police, army, other security agencies, and political leaders were fully informed of their plight.
“We request that human capacity development and sensitization program be organized and support be given to our people to go back to their settlements and also re-assurance of security of lives and properties of our people,” Kasoiza pleaded.
*PHOTO CAPTION: A cross section of displaced victims of Kaso community during the media briefing. Kasoiza (left hand raised) sits front row, right.
