Ahmed Abubakar, Dutse
No fewer than 150 robbers have made confessional statements to retire from stealing business at Malamawa in Kafin Hausa Local Government Area of Jigawa State.
The thieves who specialised in stealing cars, cows, motor bikes from all the nooks and crannies of the country and beyond have made a public confessional statement and vowed with the Quran to quit the habit.
They made the promise, on Sunday, at a grand ceremony by the Fulani clan in the area to rid the area from the Incessant robbery attacks by the criminals.
In an occult traditional way popularly known as, ‘dangon fulako’ took the oath that invoke the wrath of God upon any defaulter.
They swore to stop stealing, giving cover to thieves, buying or selling stolen properties and invoke God’s wrath if they failed to honor the promise.
Some of them confessed that they were part of those terrorizing people in the state for over some years and their decision followed a move by a Fulani self help group who promised to deal with any body caught having hands directly or indirectly in any act of stealing in the area..
One of the confessed robber, Dantala explained that “I have been in the business for over twenty five years and I have realized that it is no longer a profitable business for me.”
Also another retired thief, Musa, alias Gambo stated that, “I am in stealing business for over thirty five years and I used it to marry and fed my family and even support my relatives even though they knew what I do fopr a living.”
“My main concern now is how to start all over again and to ytake good care of my family because presently I have no other means of income ,I am appealing to the state government to look into our plight and provide a way out so that we can stay on our feet ”
The district head of Malamawa village Abdulrazak Hamza explained that, the ritual is an age long tradition where repentant thieves are expected to make open confessions and took the oath to desist otherwise the repacurtion is that they would be an outright outcast from the society.
He explained that this move is exceptional and was engineered by a self help group were the thieves willingly declared themselves in public and swear with the Qur’an to quit from the business.
District head of the village also appealed to state government to assist the retired thieves with a trade so that they can be able to stand on their feet decently again.
Contacting special assistant to governor Badaru on economic empowerment Muhammad Mujaddadi said state government do not know anything about the development.
He advised them to formally write and forward their request to authorities for consideration assures that state government is ready to assist them so that they can become self reliant.