Thread by @A_Salkida

ZAMFARA IN THE LAST 7 DAYS remains a state where human lives are short & brutish. The state & federal govts that have the responsibility to protect human lives no longer do so and they no longer pretend to offer condolences or condemnatn to the victims, death has become common.

Shinkafi emirate in Zamfara recorded more killings and abduction than any other location in the state in the last 7 days. Multiple sources confirmed the plea for help made by @junaidubadarawa to be true, as he gave the number of the dead at 60, villagers put it even higher.

@junaidubadarawa Despite the unacceptable number of casualties that is over 60 persons, across Zamfara in the last week, residents in the state said the activities of the bandits have reduced considerably when compared with the records of the last quarter of 2018 and the first quarter of 2019.

@junaidubadarawa Investigations by this reporter attributes the 40% reduction in deaths and abductions to a number of factors, (a) the activities of the gunmen are spreading beyond Zamfara to several parts of North West. (b) Renewed military/vigilante activities. (c) An anti-bullet charm.

@junaidubadarawa Six persons who claim to have received the charm after drinking a strange substance said, guns aimed in their direction missed their targets. Soldiers, the Police, Vigilantes and males are trooping into Tsauni, a village 35 kilometers from Tsafe LG headquarters of Zamfara.

@junaidubadarawa The gun remedy has turned the village into a business hub and is fast becoming a safe haven for those running away from violence. The Talisman is young and single, he gives out 500,000 Naira to his few staff every day and 1000 Naira to every household in Tsauni village.

@junaidubadarawa He gives out the remedy for 500 only and attends to 400 to 700 people every day. "He is not only generous, but reliable," said several people that spoke to this reporter. And “he shares most of the income with the people that is why he is loved,” said another villager.

@junaidubadarawa The anti-bullet remedy has boosted the confidence of people to confront their worst fears and the miracle worker is seen as "God sent." The Talisman's ability to also pick out bandits/criminals on the queue and hand them over to the local vigilantes, amazes people.

@junaidubadarawa There is, however a worrying development in Tsauni, like in several other communities in Zamfara & Katsina, locally made guns are sold openly and AK47 can be bought discretely. Investigations revealed that locally made guns are accessible in the flash points, like walking stick.

@junaidubadarawa A few months ago, people, especially vigilantes relied on contacts in Niger Republic to buy arms and ammunition, but as government is increasingly failing to protect the people, those that can afford it gets it easily. For the gun runners, it doesn’t matter who gets it.

@junaidubadarawa The democratization of weapons by government in Nigeria to arm villagers across the country in the name of vigilantes or militias to defend their communities is aiding the proliferation of small arms, is making gun runners bolder by the day to expand their business network.

@junaidubadarawa Across the north, self-help militias and vigilantes are gaining grounds, stepping into the shoes of an inadequate and ineffective security force. The implications are many; reprisals and the possibilities of these guns falling into the wrong hands, as it is often the case.