THE Ansaru terrorist group has tightened its grip on most of the communities where it currently holds sway in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The group now holds Shari’a court sessions for locals who lodge complaints with it. The chairman of Birnin Gwari Emirate Progressive Union (BEPU), Ishaq Usman Kasai, disclosed this in a statement made available to Saturday Tribune on Friday.

Kasai said: “Recently, there was the case of a man whose daughter was impregnated by a local man. The father of the girl reported the matter to the terrorist group. They seized the local man and took him into the forest. Investigation later revealed that two other local men slept with the girl.”

Kasai stated that the terrorists compelled the first accused to pay N250, 000, while the other two accused were asked to pay N150,000 each.

According to him, locals are now comfortable taking their complaints to the terrorists because of their quick dispensation of justice.

He noted that the terrorist group had continued to preach to the locals about its ideology and beliefs.

The BEPU chairman said: “During Eid-el-Kabir celebration, the Ansaru members went to various communities in the eastern part of Birnin Gwari and preached. They shared pamphlets containing their ideology and objectives to the locals.

“They have continued to preach and administer Shari’a justice to the locals and also advise them to procure arms to defend themselves against enemies and fight the government as well in order to establish what they refer to as the Islamic State,” he added.

Kasai recalled how members of the Ansaru group repelled a bandit attack on a village, Damari.

He said: “Bandits numbering about 200 on motorcycles wielding sophisticated weapons targeted and attacked Damari village of Kazage Ward in the eastern part of Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

“The attack took place around 5.00 p.m. on Wednesday, 13 July, 2022 while Ansaru members were inside the village preaching to locals.

“On hearing the sporadic gunshots from the bandits, the Ansaru members moved towards them and started exchanging fire with them.

“They fought for about an hour. The Ansaru members, who were also heavily armed, overpowered the bandits who retreated and ran away,” he added.

He disclosed that during the clash, one shop was burnt while two vehicles and a private hospital were burnt.

Two locals, he said, were killed by the bandits while they were escaping into the forest. According to Kasai, most of the community members were impressed by the gesture of the Ansaru terrorists as they praised them for defending the village against the bandits. (Nigerian Tribune)

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