Bandits Kill 323 People, Abducted 494 In Three Months In Kaduna – Report

A total number of 323 people were killed by bandits in Kaduna State between January and March 2021, the state government reported.

The figure was revealed in a security report presented by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs in Kaduna, Samuel Aruwan, at the State Security Council Meeting.

The meeting was presided over by the State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, at the Government House in Kaduna, the state capital on Friday.

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Aruwan, while presenting the first quarter security report to the council, explained that from the 323 people killed by bandits during the three months under review, 292 of them were males while 20 were females.

He added that a total of 949 people were kidnapped by bandits during the period in review. The Kaduna Central Senatorial District accounted for 236 deaths within the Birnin Gwari, Chikun, Igabi, and Kujuru Local Government Areas.

He then informed the council that some successes were recorded on the part of the security forces, including the killing of hundreds of bandits and recovery of many weapons.

In his opening remark, Governor El-Rufai decried the spate of kidnapping and banditry in Kaduna State, adding that it was taking an alarming proportion.

He expressed wariness that the situation was already getting out of hand and called for urgent measures to stem the tide of insecurity in the state. 

The governor also raised concern that the bandits operating in the state were inching closer from the rural communities to the cities, where innocent citizens have been attacked in recent times with utmost boldness.

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According to him, there is a need to allay the sense of fear and lack of confidence in security agencies through prompt operations to restore security in Kaduna.

The Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, Umar Muri, and Commandant of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Uche Iyke, also briefed the council.

Both security agencies stressed the need to secure the schools in order to prevent further attacks and tackle the menace of drug addiction and trafficking which were identified as factors contributing to banditry.