One killed, 25 abducted as ‘bandits’ hit Kaduna again

Suspected bandits oppressing residents of Birnin Gwari in Kaduna state struck again on Friday, killing one person and abducting 23 others.

Among those kidnapped were a nursing mother and a child. The victims were said to be travelling along the Birnin-Gwari-Kaduna road when they were kidnapped.

The attackers were said to have blocked the road and intercepted five commercial vehicles.

One of the victims who attempted to escape was said to have been shot dead.

Mohamed Kebi, a commercial driver who was lucky to have escaped, said the incident happened at Kwanar-tsauni between Udawa and Labi, around 11am.

“Although there is improved security along Funtua route which many commercial vehicles ply, we want the government to also provide maximum security to other routes that are haven of kidnappers,” he said.

The Birnin Gwari Vanguard for security and governance has called on the federal government to “as a matter of urgency to conduct aerial bombardment of identified hideouts of armed bandits along Birnin-Gwari-Kaduna road, Kaduna international airport general area particularly Sabon-Birni and maidaro as well as Birnin-Gwari-Funtua road and Kamuku Forest”.

“We are not safe and if care is not taking, peasant farmers in our community will not be able to farm this season due to presence of armed bandits around their farmlands,” the group said in a statement.

Aliyu Mukhtar, spokesman of the Kaduna state police command, could not be reached for comment as of the time this report was filed. His telephone was switched off.