Barely 48 hours after Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani declared in a television interview that travellers could use the Kaduna–Birnin Gwari Road without security escorts, suspected bandits struck along the route on Thursday, killing one person.
The attack occurred at about 4 p.m., according to a resident of Birnin Gwari who confirmed the incident to SaharaReporters via WhatsApp.
The assailants reportedly killed the victim, stole his motorcycle, and shot his brother, identified as Mallam Haruna, who was rushed to hospital for treatment after the attackers fled. 
Governor Sani had, during an interview on Arise Television on Tuesday, challenged the programme’s anchor, Charles Aniagolu, to travel to Birnin Gwari himself or invite the station’s Kaduna correspondent to do so, insisting that the road was now safe and free of security threats.
However, residents disputed the governor’s claim, insisting that bandits remain active along the highway. They recalled that the criminals recently killed a commercial driver, said to be a grandson of one of the district heads in the Birnin Gwari Emirate, before abducting passengers travelling from Kaduna to Birnin Gwari.
Meanwhile, despite the Kaduna State Government’s widely publicised amnesty and reconciliation initiative with bandits, residents of several Birnin Gwari communities have raised fresh concerns over continued attacks and the destruction of farmlands.
In a statement issued under the banner of the Kuyello Progressives and signed by Mallam Abdullah, residents of Kuyello, Kutemeshi, Tabbanni, Dogon Dawa and Kazage appealed to the Birnin Gwari Local Government and the Kaduna State Government to urgently intervene, saying the reconciliation meeting held in Kamfanin Doka has failed to bring peace to their communities.
The residents alleged that herders continue to allow their livestock to graze on cultivated farmlands, destroying crops and leaving farmers with huge losses. According to the group, thousands of hectares of farmland have already been devastated, plunging many farming families into severe hardship.
The statement further alleged that killings, kidnappings, theft and the rape of girls and married women have continued unabated despite the peace accord, raising fresh questions about the effectiveness of the government’s reconciliation efforts.
“We therefore appeal to the government and all relevant stakeholders to intervene immediately to stop this destruction and protect the lives, livelihoods and property of the affected communities,” the statement read.
The group said the affected communities have remained law-abiding and have continued to honour all the terms agreed during the peace process.
It expressed hope that the authorities would take prompt action to ensure justice, lasting peace and the protection of farming communities, warning that the people would no longer remain silent in the face of their continued suffering.
