Nigeria election 2023: 'You let kidnappers take me, now you want my vote'

Many Nigerians dey live in constant fear sake of armed gangs wey dey kidnap pipo and asking for ransom.

Di fear strong well-well for North-west of di kontri, wia thousands of pipo don run from dia homes.

Di insecurity mean many pipo for di region, wey get di kontri largest number of registered voters, fit not take part for di February 25 elections.

One small road wey dey up to a mile-long road and end for one tree na di only way for vehicles to enta Bakiyawwa village for Katsina northern Nigeria.

Dis community na mostly farmers dey dia, no be wia you go expect to see criminals.

Criminals wey dey behind Nigeria lucrative kidnap-for-ransom business go look for dia victims.

E come as surprise wen armed men wey dey ride motorcycle invade di area last September and kidnap 57 villagers.

"Dem hold my wife for 38 days," Abduljabara Mohammed tok, im be civil servant and one of doz wey dem consider say dey do well. Im pay 1m naira ($2,100; £1,700) for her release.

"I give dem all my money and one motorcycle, den I beg dem make dem no take me," Zaradeen Musa tok, wey be 30 years, wey dem kick im door around 01:00 as armed men, wey dem refer to as bandits, operate unchallenged for four hours afta repel one police unit wey villagers call.

Dem gbag Maria Sani, wey be 45 years, but e manage to escape as di bandits carry di victims go dia hideout for forest.

She still dey wonder wetin for happun to her if she no escape as, like many wey dem gbab dat day, she for no fit afford to pay di ransom.

All doz wey dem bin kidnap dem eventually free dem but dem free dem afta afta months of negotiations wey see dem pay cash or give dia valuables like motorcycles.

Di abductions show how far di kidnapping problem don spread - not even di poor dey spared.

However, pipo for Bakiyawwa go consider dem sefs lucky as di attacks sometimes dey turn deadly, like di reported killing of more dan 100 villagers by armed men last Friday for anoda part of Katsina.

Dis armed groups for north-west and violent secessionists for south-east dey pose real threats to di February 25 elections, analysts tok.

Attacks on offices of di Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) bin lead dem to move di polls by one week for 2019, and di recent burning of Inec office for south-east dey make pipo fear say dem fit shift di date, although officials say delays no go dey.

For December, Inec announce say e dey too dangerous to hold election for some parts of Katsina state but e no dey clear wetin go happun on election day.

Law professor Chidi Odinkalu argue say dis election fit dey dragged into legal mata if insecurity affect voting and one candidate believe say dem don rob am of vital support.

Bifo- bifor, pipo dey stay away from voting sake of fear of violence for Southern states like Imo, Anambra, Lagos and Rivers, but now, di kidnap crisis for North don make pipo too lose interest for di elections.

"You let kidnappers take me, now you want my vote," Madam Sani tok through interpreter.

Like many here she bin vote for President Muhammadu Buhari but she no dey vote dis time.

President Buhari dey step down afta im serve two terms and Bola Tinubu dey stand in for di governing All Progressives Congress (APC).

"How you go see all di suffering and still vote for APC?" Lawal Suleiman tok , e be a former party member but now na im na di only pesin wey dey campaign for Labour Party candidate Peter Obi for im village.

Many odas for Bakiyawwa say dem go probably support di main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), if dem vote at all.

"If Buhari no fit solve di problems of dis kontri, nobody fit," Na wetin Nana Samaila, wey run from her village for Batsari three years ago afta armed groups attack dem, tell BBC.

Her daughter, Aisha Mama, wey recently run wit her husband from di village of Dangyya afta persistent night-time attacks force her family to sleep for dia farm for weeks.

Madam Samaila bin get high hopes say President Buhari, a former military ruler wey come from Katsina, fit solve Nigeria issues wen she first vote for am for 2003, but like many odas, she now dey disappointed by di failures of im goment.

Jaguda pipo don gbab hundreds of school children and release dem, and di state governor bin once ask residents to arm themselves against di bandits.

Di leading candidates for di election recognise di insecurity palava, wey dey connected wit di high food prices wey don cause inflation, dat na Nigeria biggest challenge right now.

Atiku Abubakar of PDP, Tinubu of APC and Obi Labour Party dey propose police reforms, upgrading di military and improve welfare, among oda ideas.

Dia plans no different from wetin President Buhari, wey dem bin elect on di promise of tackling Islamist groups for North-east, no dey successful.

While im try to contain Islamist insurgency, violence for North-west and South-east don increase under im watch.

"Him scatter [destroy] di economy, insecurity too much," Na so Mohammed Yusuf, a farmer wey originally come from Katsina now wey now dey forced to selling tea and cooked noodles for streets for di region biggest city, Kano.

Kano, Katsina and Kaduna, di three Ks, many consider dem di key states for whoever wan emerge as Nigeria president becos of dia large voting population.

Dem get more registered voters dia more dan five South-eastern states.

Buhari bloc of votes, na di three states help am win two elections back to back, and while some pipo dey support APC, odas feel say di party don lose ground for a region wey dey suffer from insecurity.

Just two weeks ago, dem stone di president helicopter during one visit to Kano.

Rabiu Kwankwaso, of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) na also anoda dark horse.

Only im die-hard supporters expect am to win di presidency, but im emerge as a major disruptor wey fit decide who go become di next president.

Im be former govnor of Kano state and one-time defence minister, Oga Kwankwaso dey very popular for Kano and neighbouring Jigawa state.

If im take di majority of votes for Kano, wey get six million registered voters wey dey ranked second only to Lagos, e go really affect oda candidates, especially those for APC and PDP.

Dis fit work in favour of di Labour Party wey no get strong support base for di region.

Oga Kwankwaso, like many oda Nigerian politician, don switch parties several times. Last time, im support PDP and di rumours be say im go step down for dia candidate and fellow northerner, Oga Abubakar, at some point.

"Him and Obi no go win, although dem be better alternatives to Abubakar wey be capitalist," na so Umar Yahaya, one university student wey dey drive taxi for nearby Kaduna.

"But anyone wey vote APC dem dey reward dem for failure," e tok, as we reach di recently reopened Rigasa station to board di Kaduna-Abuja train.

Dem close di line for months afta deadly attack by militants wey see di killing and abduction of dozens of passengers.

When Buhari bin launch di line for 2016 many see as sign of progress for north, but now e don become become a symbol of violence wey dey worry di region.