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REVEALED: Role of women in kidnapping and banditry in the North

By Murtala Ahmed Rufai

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The involvement of teenage boys, girls and even married women in the conflict complicated further the situation further. As earlier stated, some of the attacks and kidnappings were carried out by the boys without the consent of their elders.

Also, the young girls in the midst of these delinquent boys offered different services in the perpetration of the crime. Besides providing intelligence, they as well served as cooks and guards to the abductees either in the kidnapping den or Ruga.

It is important to note that it is not all the time that kidnapped persons are kept in the forests, in some instances they are meant to stay in either the pastoral camp, Ruga or houses built by the bandit leaders in the forest.

Dankarami, Halilu and Ahaji Shehu Shingi all have such houses designated for the abductees. In those areas young armed girls were in charge of looking after these victims.

Similarly, the girls also participate in attacks against either an opposing gang or recalcitrant village. They are equally involved in long distance attacks.

The people of Sabon Birni and Isa in Sokoto state, reported the presence of women in the midst of the attackers. In some instances, girls lead the operations.

During the attacks on Garki, Dan-Aduwa, Kurzari and Katuma in Sabon Birni on 27 May, 2020 girls who were suspected to be members of the gang were spotted.

Moreover, most affected villages in Zamfara denied Fulani women access to their homes, on the apprehension that they could be spying for the bandits.

The people of Badarawa, Kurya and Gidan Jaja lamented the role of such young and old Fulani women selling milk and butter, as some of them are either related to the bandits or employed as intelligence gatherers.

Like any other member of the gang, women also received their own fair share in every successful attack, in cash and cattle as proceeds or ‘booties of war’. Also, bandits’ wives keep and service the guns before or after operations.

Suwaiba from Dangulbi area knows how to service and even use AK49, because her husband always left the gun in her possession when there was no impending attack.

Quite a number of house wives who supported and accepted their husband’s involvement in this misdeed, have basic knowledge of arms usage and maintenance.

It is also important to state that not all women accepted this act; hence since their husbands have adopted this way of life, the weapons are normally kept elsewhere far away from home.

In the course of interview, some of the women claim ignorance of their spouse’s nefarious behaviour while some of the women disclosed that their hands were given for marriage to the bandits directly.

The essence is for protection and safety; the moment one gives his daughter out to a bandit leader or any of his strong members, one’s security and that of his livestock are guaranteed.

There are cases where parents will demand for the divorce of their daughter from a non-bandit so that she could be given to a notorious bandit.

An active bandit who is 22 years old stated that he has three (3) wives one he initially married in 2016, and two others offered to him by people in need of protection.

This explains why most of the bandits are polygamous, not because they are ready for it but due to the fact that there are many people willing to offer them young girls for marriage.

A young repentant bandit of 22 years called Abdullahi alias Buratai has four wives, mostly given to him by some rich pastoralists from his village due to his notoriety and the level of power he exerted over his fellow cohorts.

According to him ‘considering his poor parental backgrounds nobody could think of giving him wife in the community, but his involvement in banditry has given him a ‘new prestigious’ position and status.’

Some members of the gang join for the simply reason of getting back their lost lovers. It is very common in the rural Fulani setting to see two or more persons competing for a girl.

In an event one lost out, he could join the gang to kill the person that married the girl. These practices are commonly found in the remotest rural areas worst hit by the insecurity.

Thus, not all attacks on villages are meant to kill innocent people; some gangs around Dansadau, Magamin Maitarko and Dangulbi areas organized attacks and village raids to satisfy sexual urge.

This is mostly done by gangs with few members with specific target of their victims. The aim of this attack is mainly for the rape of young teenage girls.

An interaction with a member of such gang, demonstrates that some pseudo marabouts often ask them to rape virgin girls if they want a certain charm to work. The option is either to rape them at the scene or kidnapped for rape.

The act of rape has a long history in some areas of the state, according to an anonymous, District Head, (2016) Banditry has also been associated with rape and other related violence against women and children.

Before banditry went out of hand in 2016, some village and district heads, recorded rape cases.

As early as 2011, girls sent out to fetch firewood or cut grass in the nearby bush usually come back howling as a result of either individual or gang rape by unknown persons.

In 2012 alone, over fifty (50) cases were recorded in one district. The number is not exact, some affected parents often keep silent, to avoid social rejection against the victims.

In view of this, in October, 2012, women and girls were banned from going to the bush alone for whatever reason. It is also important to stress that woman and children form part of the major victims of the conflict.

There is an increasing number of this category of vulnerable group as widows and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the state.

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