The remains of 15 farmers killed by bandits on their farmlands on Monday at Yar Gamji village in the Batsari Local Government Area of Katsina State were buried on Tuesday.
This is as the villagers vowed that the attack on their village would not force them to abandon their homes and relocate to other areas.
It was learnt that the corpses would have been buried on Monday, but the youth of the village wanted to bring them to the Government House, Katsina, for the attention of Governor Aminu Masari.
Elders in the village were, however, said to have prevailed on the youth to drop the idea, assuring them that the state government was doing all it could to curb banditry and other crimes in the state.
The District Head of Batsari, Alhaji Muhammed Muazu said on Tuesday that residents of the village were not relocating to other places because of the attack.
He said the attack took place on the farmlands outside the village, adding that the villagers had decided to remain in their community instead of relocating.
Muazu stated, “The villagers are not relocating because of the attack. The village head of Yar Gamji was even here this morning and he has gone back to the village to join his people.
“The attack occurred on their farmlands and not in the village. The security operatives, who received the distress calls on the attack, went to the farmlands to repel the bandits, but the 15 farmers had been killed before the arrival of the operatives.
“We know the government is trying its best, but we shall always appeal to it to do more. As I am speaking with you, we in the Batsari Local Government Area are more concerned about our security.
“It is only when our community is secure that we can talk of farming or any other business. Presently, farming only takes place in four villages in the whole of the council, because of security challenges. Farming takes place in Ruma, Batsari, Wagini and Abadau only, and we have over 200 villages.
“We appeal to the Federal Government to come to the aid of the state government and ensure better security in the state.”
