Suspected bandits abducted 22 residents in separate attacks on Kugauta and Kitanda communities in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Friday night.
Local sources revealed that the attackers stormed Kitanda around 10:30 p.m., kidnapping 12 people, mainly women and children, before proceeding to Kugauta, where they took 10 more.
A resident, Emmanuel Johnson, decried the lack of security, noting that only three police officers are stationed to secure the area. “Our communities are under constant attack, and the government needs to protect us,” he said.
Johnson added that over ₦60 million has been paid in ransoms, with many villagers still in captivity. He urged the government to deploy more security personnel, set up Forward Operating Bases, and launch operations to dismantle bandit camps in the region.
Efforts to reach the Kaduna State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, for comments were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.
