Inside details of abandoned security building that leaves Nasarawa community defenceless against bandits

In Bakono, a rural community in Nigeria's Nasarawa State, a N43.5 million police station project meant to combat rampant banditry has been abandoned, leaving residents defenseless. Construction began in 2020, fueled by hopes that a police presence would curb the persistent threats of kidnapping and violence that have plagued the area for years.

However, the project, nominated by a federal lawmaker and funded by the federal government, has stalled. It remains a roofless, windowless structure, with no clear completion date in sight. The contractor attributes the incompletion to inflation, while the implementing agency, LBRBDA, claims the building is 80.10% complete. Neither the lawmaker nor the agency appears to have recently inspected the site.

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For years now, the people of Bakono, Ogufa, Ajada, and Oguba have faced the relentless challenge of kidnapping. From 2021 through last year, we lived in fear and agony. They often demand huge ransoms. By my calculations, this community of Bakono alone has paid more than N40 million to these kidnappers.

Meanwhile, the community's desperation is palpable. Yunusa Adam, secretary to the district head of Bakono, estimates that Bakono alone has paid over N40 million in ransoms since 2021. Across the emirate council, communities have collectively paid approximately N50 million between 2022 and 2023. Victims, often farmers, are abducted from their fields, and some have been returned only in body bags after ransoms were paid.

Idris Yahaya, another resident, expressed the deep-seated fear gripping the community. "I don't know how long we are going to continue to live in fear," he stated. While acknowledging a recent reduction in kidnappings, he stressed the urgent need for the police station's completion. The project's delay and abandonment underscore a critical failure in providing basic security to a community under siege.

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I don’t know how long we are going to continue to live in fear. Although kidnapping has reduced compared to previous years, the project needs to be completed soon. Such a project is not supposed to be delayed or abandoned.