By Chinelo Obogo
Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has raised the alarm that terrorists are now forming a parallel government and permanent operational base in Kaduna.
In a July memo written to President Muhammadu Buhari, which was exclusively obtained by Premium Times, El-Rufai warned the president about the consolidation of the terrorists, who belong to Ansaru al-Musulmina fi Bilad al-Sudan, a splinter Boko Haram group.
The group, which pledged allegiance to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), in 2020, is said to be responsible for many of the high-profile abductions, like the armed attacks on the police in Kaduna State.
In the memo, El-Rufai revealed how the terrorists infiltrated and dominated communities and formed “a parallel governing authority,” exercising control over activities and dispensation of justice.
He said the terrorists have advanced in their plans to make Kaduna forest areas their “permanent operational base” for the Northwest region, citing a “series of intelligence reports.”
El-Rufai revealed that the terrorists have promulgated a law to ban residents from participating in the election, saying, “Observed movement patterns and intercepted communications of migrating terrorists have shown a clear interest in setting up a base, with the stretches of forest area between Kaduna and Niger states strongly considered.
“The insurgents enacted a law in the District, banning all forms of political activity or campaign ahead of the 2023 elections, especially in Madobiya and Kazage villages.
“According to actionable intelligence, members of the Jama’atu Ansarul Musulmina Fi’biladis Sudan (aka Ansaru) hibernating in Kuyello district of Birnin Gwari LGA recently conducted a nuptial ceremony during which they married two yet-to-be-identified female residents of Kuyello village.
“The ceremony was attended by various Ansaru members and witnessed by residents of the area. After the marital rites, insurgents in attendance reportedly conveyed the brides to the dreaded Kuduru forest, in the same District,” El-Rufai wrote.
El-Rufai said the terrorists “fined one Mu’azu Ibrahim, a resident of Kuyello community, the sum of N1 million for selling plots of land without the consent of the owners.
