Angry Youths Block Kaduna-Abuja Highway as Bandits Kill Four, Abduct 49

John Shiklam in Kaduna and Laleye Dipo in Minna

Angry youths, Saturday, blocked the Kaduna-Abuja following the killing of four people and the abduction of 49 others in a weeklong attack by rampaging bandits in Angwan Madaki, Kakau community, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

But in nearby Niger State, men of the local vigilante in collaboration with some youths, yesterday, repelled attacks by suspected bandits and in the process neutralised five of the robbers while many others allegedly escaped with gunshot and matchet cut injuries, after the bandits had earlier raided some villages in Munya Local Government and killed two.

However, the Kakau community, which is located in the outskirts of the Kaduna metropolis, was said to have come under persistent attacks by bandits throughout the week.

The latest attack, according to sources in the community, occurred on Friday at about 10pm, when the bandits, in their large number, stormed the community, killed two people and abducted 20 others, including the chief, his wife and brother.
In a telephone interview with THISDAY, one of the sources said, a total of four people were killed, while 49 others were abducted within three days.

According to the source, who pleaded anonymity, “On Tuesday, the bandits invaded the community,killed two people and abducted 15 others. On Thursday, they came back again and killed two people and kidnapped 14. Yesterday (Friday) at about 10pm they came and killed two people and kidnapped 20 others including the Chief, his brother and wife.

“Throughout this week, our community had been under constant attack by bandits. This angered the youths and this morning (Saturday), they blocked the Kaduna-Abuja road by the overhead bridge, to expressed their frustration over the security situation.”

The source said, “What baffles us is that we have the female soldiers camp close to Kakau. There is also another soldiers camp close to the main road, yet, the attacks have persisted. Our people have been living in perpetual fear and this is a community that is close to Kaduna metropolis! Many people have relocated to Kaduna metropolis as a result of these frequent attacks”.
Spokesman of the Kaduna State Police Command, Mohammad Jalige, could not be reached at the time of filing this report.

From Niger, some of the villages raided by the bandits, who came in large numbers and rode on motorcycles, while at the same time bearing Ak 47 rifles, included Kuchi, Kurubbako and Guni.
“They shot sporadically as they entered the villages to scare away the villagers after which they embarked on rustling of cattle and looting of the homes of the villagers. The youths recovered from the initial shock and countered the bandits, resulting in the killing of 5 of the bandits,” a source told THISDAY was told.

Although it was gathered that the bandits took away the corpses of their colleagues, THISDAY also learnt that the cattle earlier rustled were recovered and returned to the owner.
Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Alhaji Ibrahim Ahmed Inga, when contacted confirmed the story but said the agency was yet to get “full details of the incident”.
But Police Public Relations Officer, Niger State Police Command, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, could also not be reached for confirmation.