Kaduna: 1,972 kidnapped, 937 people killed in attacks in 2020

The Kaduna government says banditry and other forms of violence resulted in the deaths of 937 persons and the kidnapping of 1,972 in the state in 2020.

Samuel Aruwan, the state commissioner of internal security and home affairs, revealed the figures on Wednesday at the presentation of the 2020 Annual Security Report.

The commissioner said victims of kidnapping, banditry and other criminal activities cut across all ethnic and religious groups in Kaduna.

“Victims of criminal acts like banditry and kidnapping are to be found across ethnic, religious or political leanings and persuasions,” he said.

Out of the 937 casualties reported for 2020, the commissioner said “Igabi has the highest figure of 152, followed by Kajuru with a figure of 144”.

He said Birnin Gwari, Igabi, Giwa and Chikun LGAs in Kaduna Central senatorial district account for a combined 468 deaths, representing over 50 percent of the entire fatalities in the state.

“The southern senatorial district accounts for 286 deaths, which is about one third of the total, due in large part to sporadic clashes, alongside banditry which triggered attacks and counter-attacks, especially between June and November 2020,” the commissioner said.

“Out of 1,972 people kidnapped in the period under review, Kaduna Central Senatorial district accounts for 1,561 and out of the total, 1,461 were kidnapped within Birnin Gwari, Igabi, Giwa and Chikun local government areas.”

Aruwan added that out of 1,972 people kidnapped in the period under review, 1,461 were kidnapped in Birnin Gwari, Igabi, Giwa and Chikun.

Banditry, kidnapping and communal clashes have been rampant in the state since 2020.