In Three Months, Bandits Kill 343 People, Abduct 830 Others in Kaduna

The Kaduna state government said a total of 343 people were killed, while 830 others were abducted by bandits between July and September 2021.
The Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr. Samuel Aruwan, disclosed this while presenting the Third Quarter Security report to Governor Nasir El-Rufai on Wednesday at the Government House, Kaduna.

He also said 69 of the bandits were “neutralised” during the period under review.
He lamented that the activities of bandits are crippling rural economy and a threat to education as many schools are under threat by the criminals.
In the last two quarters between January to June, a total of 545 people were killed while 1,723 others were abducted by bandits.

Aruwan said in the latest report, the Southern Kaduna Senatorial district recorded the highest number of death with 193 while Kaduna Central and Kaduna North Senatorial Districts recorded 130 and 20 deaths respectively.

He said, “From July to September 2021, a total of 343 persons died due to banditry, communal clashes, violent attacks, and reprisals”, adding that, 50 of the victims were women and 22 were minors.

The commissioner said the high number of deaths in Southern Kaduna “is largely made up of victims of violent attacks and reprisals in Zangon Kataf, Kaura and Kauru Local Government Areas.”

According to him, “These areas witnessed series of clashes early in the year, which spiraled into a succession of increasingly deadly communal and inter-ethnic attacks across the three LGAs…”

The commissioner said, of the 830 people kidnapped in the third quarter, 732 people were abducted in Kaduna Central Senatorial District, with many of the kidnappings

occurring in Birnin Gwari, Giwa, Igabi, Chikun and Kajuru LGAs.
He said, “Chikun LGA had 243 citizens kidnapped, Birnin Gwari LGA 143, while 132 citizens were kidnapped from Kajuru LGA. Igabi LGA had 106 kidnapped, while 98 persons were kidnapped from Giwa LGA.

“Southern Kaduna Senatorial District recorded 51 kidnapped persons, with Kachia LGA reporting the highest number of 28.
“The Northern Senatorial District recorded 47 kidnapped persons, with 16 of these from Zaria LGA
“In total, 222 women, and 179 minors were kidnapped in the third quarter across the state”.
The commissioner also disclosed that 77 farms were destroyed across the state.

“Various reports were received of farms destroyed by roving cattle in the third quarter…
“In the third quarter of 2021, there were 77 reports received, relating to destruction of
crops across the state, notably in Birnin Gwari, Igabi, Giwa, Chikun, Kachia, Kaura,
Kauru and Zangon Kataf LGAs. The actual figure could be higher, taking unreported cases into account”, the commissioner said.
Aruwan noted that such destruction of crops has exacerbated the tensions in frontline LGAs, many often resulting in violence.
He however said, the state government was working on a template to manage the phenomenon.

He lamented that banditry has hampered farming activities in the frontline areas of the state as the criminals continue to attack and abduct farmers working on or on their way to their farms.