323 persons killed, 949 abducted within three months, says Kaduna govt

No fewer than 323 persons were killed by bandits in Kaduna state between January and March 2021, the state government has revealed on Friday.

The state also revealed that a total of 949 people were kidnapped by bandits during the three-month period.

This was disclosed by the State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan while presenting the first-quarter security report at the State Security Council meeting held on Friday.

Aruwan also informed the council that some succeses were recorded on the part of the security forces, including the killing of hundreds of bandits and recovery of many weapons.

The state Governor Nasir El-Rufai, in his speech at the meeting, decried the spate of kidnapping and banditry in the state, noting that the attacks were getting out of hand.

El-rufai went on to say that the bandits operating in the state were inching closer from rural communities to the cities, where they have attacked innocent citizens in recent times with utmost boldness.

READ ALSO: Again, El-Rufai rules out negotiation, amnesty for bandits, kidnappers in Kaduna

Ripples Nigeria earlier reported that the Kaduna Governor had reiterated that the state would never surrender to bandits and kidnappers by offering ransom or negotiating with them in the face of incessant abductions in the state.

“Several states sought to negotiate their way out of the problems by talking to bandits, paying them money or offering them amnesty.

“This has not worked and has only encouraged the criminals to press ahead for a surrender of the public treasury to them. That is clearly not in the public interest,” Elrufai said.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now