Residents of two villages, Kwapre and Dabna in the Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State have abandoned their homes over the fear of attacks by terrorists and bandits ravaging parts of the state.
SaharaReporters learnt that Kwapre and Dabna villages in Garaha Ward in the Hong Local Government Area were currently ghost villages, as people fled to safer places.
Kwapre, Dabna, Lar, Zah and other adjoining villages are in Garaha Ward, where the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, and the slain Nigerian Army Brigadier General, Dzarma Zurkusu hailed from.
A community leader in Garaha, Honorable Hyella, told SaharaReporters that people fled Kwapre to escaped being trapped and kidnapped by bandits and the Boko Haram.
He said, “There are only seven persons left in Kwapre now; the rest have relocated to either Hong or Pella.
“People have justifiable reasons to run for their lives, because 52 persons were abducted in April this year and only eight persons have returned home since then. Now that there’s a buildup of heavy presence of suspected bandits in the area again; the people have to run for their lives.
“People have to run because kidnappings happen on a daily basis. The bandits have begun to tax villagers; so far they’ve taxed Dabna, Sushiu, Lar, and many villages within the Duguba district to pay safety levies.”
SaharaReporters had on May 12, 2021 reported that Boko Haram terrorists demanded a ransom of N28million to free some persons abducted in Adamawa State.
The captives, numbering 52 including women and children, were abducted last month in Kwapre village, in the Hong Local Government Area.
Another source, who did not want his name in print, said, “The people in Dabna have moved to Gombi, a nearby town and Hong. Few families are still there, may be about ten households or so,” he added.
The spokesperson for the police in the state, DSP Suleiman Nguroje, confirmed the scare, saying, “Yes, there’s kidnap scare around those villages. Of course it’s normal for the people to be scared. But the Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Ahmed Barde, has directed the deployment of troops to safeguard the areas.”
