Bandits abduct over 20 from Kaduna communities

In two separate attacks on Friday night, bandits reportedly abducted 22 people from two communities in the Kumana Chiefdom, Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The incidents occurred at around 10:30 pm in the Kugauta community of Kusheka and the Kitanda community of Geshere.

Emmanuel Johnson, a student pastor and resident, confirmed the kidnappings in a phone interview on Saturday.

Johnson revealed that 12 individuals, primarily women and children, were abducted from Kitanda, while 10 were taken from Kugauta. He expressed concern over the worsening security situation in the area, criticizing the lack of adequate police presence.

“Our communities are being attacked daily, and only three policemen are stationed to secure our villages and neighboring areas,” Johnson lamented.

He described how ongoing kidnappings and killings have forced many residents to flee their homes. “Over N60 million has been paid as ransom so far, yet many villagers remain in captivity,” he said.

Highlighting the dire living conditions, Johnson added, “We are facing serious challenges, including poor infrastructure, bad roads, lack of schools, and hospitals. Even transporting farm produce to the market is nearly impossible due to the state of the roads.”

Johnson called on the government to take decisive action against the bandits and address the insecurity plaguing the region. “The army, NAF, and other security agencies must conduct offensive operations to eliminate these criminals from their camps,” he urged.

“These bandits have crippled our economy, inflicted untold hardship on our people, and plunged us into poverty,” he added, while emphasizing the need for police stations and military bases in strategic locations.

Efforts to reach the Kaduna State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, for comments were unsuccessful.

(PUNCH)