Maradun’s Cry: A Feature Narrative

By Mannir Mallam Kabiru

Maradun, a local government area in Zamfara State, is a land of paradox. It is the birthplace of Dr. Bello Matawalle, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defence, yet it has become a theatre of bloodshed and despair. The cries of its people echo through dusty roads and broken homes, asking one haunting question: why is Maradun bleeding while its own son holds the nation’s defence office? 

Life in Fear

In Bakyasuwa, Damrawa, Gidan Kano, Dan Baza, Dosara, Faru, Gora, and Magami, daily life has been reduced to survival. Bandits roam freely, their presence so constant that villagers speak of them as though they were part of the landscape. The roads, once lifelines of trade and kinship, are now corridors of death. Travelers are stopped, abducted, and sometimes executed in cold blood. 

Funerals have become routine. Mothers whisper prayers over their children, hoping they will return from school or the market. Fathers avoid highways, fearing the ambushes that have claimed so many lives. The air is thick with grief, and the silence of leadership is deafening. 

The Bitter Irony

For the people of Maradun, the pain is sharpened by irony. Their son, Dr. Bello Matawalle, sits in Abuja as Minister of State for Defence. His title carries the promise of protection, yet his homeland remains unprotected. The betrayal is not just political—it is deeply personal. If Maradun cannot be safe under the watch of its own son, then where in Nigeria can hope to be? 

Voices from the Ground

In Faru, villagers recount nights of gunfire that force families to flee into the bush. In Magami, graves multiply as communities bury their dead. In Damrawa, residents describe the terror of bandits blocking roads, dragging passengers from vehicles, and leaving behind lifeless bodies. These are not isolated incidents—they are the rhythm of life in Maradun today. 

A Plea for Action

The people’s demands are clear: 
– Deploy military personnel and security agencies to vulnerable villages. 
– Establish permanent checkpoints along dangerous road corridors. 
– Intensify armed patrols. 
– Station troops in Gidan Kano, Dan Baza, Damrawa, Faru, Magami, Gora, and other communities. 

This is not a call for promises. It is a plea for survival. Every day without action is another day of bloodshed. 

Conclusion

Maradun is bleeding. Its people are crying. Its roads are unsafe. Its villages are under siege. The time for speeches has passed. The time for decisive action is now. 

Dr. Bello Matawalle, history will not remember the office you held, but whether you stood up when your people needed you most. Nigeria is watching. Maradun is waiting.