Community leader alleges killing, raping of women in Nasarawa

Urges govt to beef up security in area

THE paramount ruler of Agwada Chiefdom in Nasarawa State, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq has alleged that unknown gunmen frequently invade, kill and especially rape women, while working on their farms in his community.

The ruler told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in the Agwada Development Area of the state that gunmen have been killing and raping women while working on their farms.

Sadiq, who is the Osu, Agwada, expressed regrets that the development is now posing huge security challenge to his community, as it had affected output, since women are now afraid of going to their farms.

Sadiq also decried the frequent armed robbery attacks in the area and called for a beef-up of security in the area to curtail the activities of the rampaging rapists and robbers who have laid siege on the community.

“The frequent armed robbery attacks in my area have become a serious concern not only to the residents of this area but to the entire state as it has adversely affected our lives and socio-cultural activities negatively.

“Apart from stealing people’s properties and farm produce, they also kill and rape our women while doing their farming activities in order to earn a living with their family members.

“This is a threat, not only to the health of the women in my domain, but it is threatening the health of the entire community. This is evil and we must always preach against it for peace to reign in our society.

“Their activities have created fear in my people, especially the women, and this has affected agricultural production negatively and I want to appeal to the security agents to beef-up security in my area, so that my people can go about their normal activities without fear of being attacked.”
“Beefing up security in the area will help in curtailing the activities of armed robbers and the influx of criminal elements,” he said.

Besides, the Chief recalled the unsolved killing of three vigilante members of Kofar Gwari village earlier in the year, and the kidnap of a man by unknown gunmen— which had created confusion.
He described what was happening in his domain as not only embarrassing but also unfortunate and uncalled for.

The Osu Agwada called on the people of the area to be security-conscious and to report suspicious movements of persons or groups to the appropriate authorities for necessary action.

The community leader enjoined the people of the state and Nigerians to live in peace and to tolerate one another irrespective of their ethnic, religious or political affiliation.