Recently, the name -Auwal Daudawa, shot into our national consciousness when he was unmasked as the mastermind who orchestrated the kidnap of 340 schoolboys from a boarding school in Kankara, Katsina State.
In a media chat monitored by IgbereTv, Auwal Daudawa, who is originally from Zurmi in Zamfara State, recounted how he picked up arms and why he decided to lay down his arms under an amnesty programme initiated by the Zamfara State government.
The husband of three insisted that he was not more than 26 years. From our impression, Daudawa came across as somewhat loquacious, yet tactically evasive personality. For someone born and brought up in a remote hamlet in the suburbs of Zurmi, he came across as smart and even suave for his background.
He informed us that injustice and intimidation was the major reason for his joining banditry. In his own words, “i had a herd of cattle i inherited from my parents but security operatives and yan-sa-kai (vigilantes) were sent to take them from me and brought here (to Gusau). So i was challenged to sit up too.
“I told them that they should scrutinize the herd and if they find any cow belonging to another person, they should not spare me. They did not find any stolen cow but they still kept the entire herd of about 40 with calves and some of them were for other people. Tell me, what do I do with my life then?”
Further narrating, he said that this was about five years ago, during the last administration. Out of frustration, as he had no other means of livelihood to fend for his family, he sold the remaining of his assets and bought a rifle and that was how he started banditry.
In conclusion, he informed that he quit banditry when Allah touched his heart and he decided to lay down his arms. Prior to that, some of the people were crying, thinking that i would lose my life but I told them to submit to the will of Allah. Right now, all I seek is forgiveness and not money.
