By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Bandits have reportedly abducted 22 locals, including women and children, in separate attacks on Kugauta and Kitanda communities in Kumana Chiefdom, Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
A local resident and student pastor, Emmanuel Johnson, confirmed the incidents during a telephone interview on Saturday.
According to Johnson, the attackers stormed the two communities in separate raids late Friday night, around 10:30 p.m., and abducted the victims. He revealed that 12 people were kidnapped in Kitanda, Geshere, and another 10 were taken in Kugauta, Kusheka, both within Kumana Chiefdom.
Johnson expressed concern over the persistent insecurity in the area, noting that despite recurring attacks, only three police officers are stationed to secure their communities and neighboring villages.
“Our communities are under constant attack, and villagers are being kidnapped daily. The police presence here is insufficient to secure our villages. The government must prove that we are Nigerians and have equal rights to protection by the authorities,” Johnson lamented.
He also disclosed that over ₦60 million had been paid as ransom to the bandits, with many victims still in captivity.
“Our people have been forced to flee their homes due to the continuous kidnappings and killings. In addition to this, we are facing serious infrastructural deficits, including poor road networks, inadequate hospitals, and schools. We can barely transport farm produce to the markets because of the poor state of our roads,” he said.
Johnson urged the government to take more decisive action to address the insecurity in the area.
“The military, Air Force, and other security agencies need to conduct offensive operations to flush out these bandits who are terrorizing our communities. They have inflicted unimaginable hardship on our people, crippling our economy and plunging us into poverty,” he added.
He called on the government to establish police stations and forward operating bases for the army in strategic areas, emphasizing that such measures would help curb the escalating insecurity.
As of the time of filing this report, the Kaduna State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, had not responded to inquiries.
