.Police deploys mobile unit to Kariga community

While efforts are ongoing to rescue about 300 residents abducted from Kariga and Goni Gora communities in Chikun Local Council of Kaduna State, bandits have between Monday night and yesterday morning allegedly kidnapped another 30 persons at Buda Village in Kajuru council area of the state.

A reliable source said the well-armed hoodlums operated for hours unchallenged.
Lately, the Northwest state has become a hotbed of kidnappings and ancillary crimes.

The source explained: “A lot of criminal activities have been happening in Kajuru in recent times, but leaders of the affected communities are afraid of coming to the press due to a lack of security for their lives and subjects.

“As we speak, we still have a lot of our people in the kidnappers’ den before this latest attack. We have not heard from them since.”

Kajuru, Chikun, Birnin Gwari and Giwa share vast ‘ungoverned’ boundaries, thereby raising suspicion that the bandits terrorising these four council areas share something in common.

Coincidentally, the latest incident came ahead of yesterday’s scheduled official visit of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to the state.

In Kaduna yesterday, the police chief reiterated the force’s dedication to ensuring the safe release of all the abducted students assuring that both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches are being vigorously pursued to secure the release of the 287 pupils abducted last Thursday at Kuriga community in Chikun Council and bring the perpetrators to justice.

To boost security efforts, the IGP also announced the immediate deployment of a full-armed and ready unit of mobile policemen to the Kuriga Community to restore normalcy in the affected area and facilitate swift action towards the rescue operation.

In his remarks, Governor Uba Sani reaffirmed the government’s readiness to support the police in their rescue efforts. He assured of continuous assistance and provision of support to the deployed officers.

Additionally, the governor cautioned against sensational reportage, urging responsible journalism during this challenging period.

As of press time, both the Kaduna State Police Command and the Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs were yet to make official statements on the fresh attack.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in Kano, Muhammed Gumel has summoned operational commanders and Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) to tighten security around public schools and tertiary institutions in the state.

The move, he said was in line with the IGP directive on the Safety of Schools Initiative nationwide.

A statement by the command’s spokesperson, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, said the CP directed operational commanders and DPOs to increase patrol of vulnerable learning institutions.

Reacting, the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and political organisation, Afenifere, yesterday, called on the authorities at various levels to up the ante in their efforts at putting an end to the abductions in parts of the country.

The position was contained in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi.

According to the group, the recent occurrences elicit greater concern because of the focus by the kidnappers on defenceless and innocent schoolchildren.

It regretted that the incidents are occurring as the nation soberly prepares to mark the 10th anniversary of the abducted Chibok school girls in Chibok next month.

The Afenifere spokesperson said: “In a manner that went beyond any reasonable conjecture, bandits who abducted 16 residents of Gonin-Gora community, a suburb of Kaduna metropolis in the Chikun Local Government Area, on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, were reported to be demanding N40 trillion ransom to free the 16 victims.

“It can be recalled that the entire budget of Nigeria for the year 2024 is less than N30 trillion. Besides the N40 trillion demanded, the terrorists were also asking for 11 Hilux vehicles and 150 motorbikes with which they plan to continue to wreak more havoc; which goes to show that the phenomenon must be confronted headlong and with the stringent steps possible.”