Worrisome State Of Renewed Banditry In Kaduna Communities

On 6th July, 2024, two Kaduna based Journalists and members of their families were kidnapped in Dan honu 11 of new millennium city of Chikun local government area of Kaduna State. They regained freedom after one week in captivity.

Precisely in the month of September after their abduction, the bandits stormed same area again and kidnapped a mother and three of her children before the mother was dropped on the way and the children taken away to an unknown destination.

In this same September, another 15 persons  were abducted by bandits in Mani Village, located opposite Indomie factory in Rido Ward of the.same Chikun local government area.

A resident of the area who gave his name as Mr Jonah Akila confirmed the incidence and said the bandits came in large numbers shooting sporadically before taking the victims away in the  early morning attack.

As if attacks and kidnap from houses were not bad enough, the bandits still in this month precisely on 9th September invaded the Primary Healthcare Centre at Kuyallo, Eastern part of  Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, kidnapping two nurses and an unspecified number of patients.

According to Musa Alhassan, one of the  leaders of a local vigilante group, the bandits initially targeted the nearby Government Day Secondary School, arriving around 9:00am on Monday, September 9, 2024 upon finding the school empty, they turned their attention to the healthcare centre, located in close proximity.

“The bandits came to the school around 9:00am, asking about the students, but when they found out the school was empty, they went to the healthcare centre and started kidnapping people,” he said.

According to him, the bandits, who were seeking to abduct students, instead took two female nurses and several patients hostage, leaving the community in a state of panic.

“The exact number of patients kidnapped is still unknown, he said, “The bandits came into the  healthcare centre  wielding guns and machetes. They started dragging people out of the hospital, and we couldn’t do anything to stop them.”

Kaduna State Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO ) ASP Mansir Hassan said, the police and other sister security agencies are not leaving any stone unturned to stop the bandits while seeking for cooperation from the public with credible information that will assist them accordingly.

Meanwhile, Kaduna State governor, Senator Uba Sani has consistently assured the good people of Kaduna State that their welfare, well being and security are his priority.

The fact however remains that these bandits are becoming more daring and the need to intensify security efforts to tackle their excesses cannot be over emphasised.