The Invincible Rugu Forest Daemons – By Taiwo Lawrence Adeyemi

Rugu Forest is 220 kilometers length and spans across; Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara States and Republic of Niger and home to ‘The Invincible Rugu Forest Daemons’ that has turned the once green fields’ of; Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara States to ‘killing, cattle rustling and ransom-ware’ fields!

Rugu is a popular name of a community leader in Katsina State. Rugu was a fearless and courageous warrior who excelled in hunting and combat during his reign. He used to be praised by his people as ‘Rugu kan kura kowa ya taba ka zai kwana lahira’, which literally means; ‘Rugu a hyena’s head, whoever faces you will die’.

Zamfara State is primarily an agrarian state, hence the state slogan ‘Farming Is Our Pride’. The once flourishing agricultural rural communities had been turned to ‘Killing Fields, Ransom-bug and Cattle Rustling’ territory. If escaped being killed and annihilated by the maddening bandits, you are at the mercy of being trapped and held captive, where ‘ransom’ are demanded and negotiated.

It all started in 2011 in Lingyado Village of Dansadau District, Zurmi Local Government Area, the ugly characteristics has ‘metamorphosed’ into a monster to three maddening acts; Killing, ransom, & cattle rustling. The maddening acts are pronounced in 9 Local Government Areas, namely; Anka, Bukkuyum, Maradun, Maru, Birnin Magaji, Tsafe, Shinkafi, and Zurmi. And lately in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area.

It is estimated that Zamafara State ‘Killing Fields, Cattle Rustling and Ransom-ware’ has claimed 3,000 lives, 2,000 homes destroyed, 50 cars burnt and 510 people kidnapped for ransom. The bandits who sources confirmed to be Fulani’s always made their ways to Zamfara State through the ‘dreaded’ 220 kilometers Rugu Forest which cut across Niger Republic to substantial part of Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara Sates, North West, Nigeria. According to the victims; a knock at your door is a sign of journey to hell’ in sharp contrast to Charles Lamb, the famous English essayists, “the most interesting knock in the world is the gentle knock at the door.”

Zamfara State government has spent over N17 billion in the past seven years fighting the bandits. Zamfara State has continued to witness unfiltered and unhindered access to the communities by bandits and turned the once green fields to; killing, ransom-bug and cattle rustling fields. In Katsina State which has eight Local Government Areas, namely; Jibia, Safana, Batsari, Danmusa, Sabuwa, Dandume and Faskari are firmly under ‘The Invincible Rugu Forest Daemons’

Nigerian Army. Nigerian Air-force, Counter Terrorism Unit [CTU], Police Mobile Force, Nigerian Police, Civilian Joint Task Force [CJTF] & Local Vigilantes deployed to tackle the bandits has all failed to nip the ugly and unending insipid scenario in the bud! Despite the Nigerian military Operation Sharan Daji’ and ‘Operation Puff Adder’ ‘The Invincible Rugu Forests Daemons’ remains foolhardy and has been conquering, killing, demanding ransom and keep rustling cattle’s! In a surprise statement issued on his behalf by Tukur Gusua, Mansu Dan-Alli, Nigeria’s Minister of Defence has accused some highly placed traditional rulers in the North Western part of Nigeria of supplying information and intelligence gathering for ‘The Invincible Rugu Forest Daemons’

Despite ceaseless airstrikes from Nigerian Airforce jets on the bandits hideouts and positions. ’The Invincible Rugu Forest Daemons’ re-appear and become more deadlier and brutish. In exchange of ransom, military exchanges prisoners, like the case of Kano State famous Islamic cleric and President Muhammadu Buahri’s Prayer Warriors, Sheik Ahmed Suleiman that was kidnapped at Kakumi, before Kankara in Katsina State highway on March 14, 2019 and spent over ten days in the hands of the kidnappers, but was released by the ‘The Invincible Rugu Forest Daemons’ in exchange for the captured of one the bandits leader’s mother.

What could make military engaged in exchanging the Islamic cleric with the kidnappers leaders mother seem worrisome, yet still remain a game changer! The bandits has also left trails of tears, destruction’s and annihilation to Kajuru, Birnin Gwari in Kaduna State, and also; Sokoto and Katsina States. The ease at which these bandits operated at their frequency and bar still raises more questions and posers.

From the unending Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States untamed Boko Haram Terrorists ‘vampires’ destructive trails in the North East to ‘The Invincible Rugu Forest Daemons’ ‘killings, cattle rustling and ransom-ware’ fields of Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto and Zamfara States in North West, who is to be blame these endless conflicts that have eaten deep into the Nigeria’s lean resources.

If money that is meant to provide good services, institutionalizing good governance are been channeled to fund sundry and unnecessary plans, then Nigeria will never move beyond the rhetoric’s of #NextLevel slogan. The North has continued to inflict self destruction’s on itself and made other parts of the country to pay for their inaction’s and actions. How long will the other sections of the country made to pay for these?

A trip from Shagari, Yabo Local Government Area, Sokoto State through the fringe of Rima River trough to Gusua, Zamfara State will clearly open the level of humanitarian tragedy of the communities, poverty ravaged and self inflicted! The Nigerian Senate has passed a motion for the release of over N10 billion to cater for the humanitarian catastrophe fallout of Zamfara State ‘killing, cattle rustling and ransom-ware’ fields!

Are we robbing Peter to pay Paul? The self afflicted crisis should not be heaped on the hapless, suffering and already battered Nigerian. The International Monetary Fund [IMF] and Breton Woods Institution has just released a report indicting Nigeria of not managing it’s Sovereign Wealth Fund well, it rated Nigeria as the second worst after Qatar in the managing of it’s Sovereign Wealth Fund!

The state chief executives of some the affected states in the north-west has being accused before now of abdicating their offices and gallivanting across the globe and Abuja, while there state burns. According to General Sun Tzu, ‘At the core of this ancient strategy is the understanding that conflict is an inescapable part of human life.”

In Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara States, human beings has perpetrated the most abominable atrocities against it’s fellow human beings in the name of; ransom, cattle rustling and vengeance’!