Barely 24 hours after the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, patrolled the highway, bandits have raided some houses at Anguwar Maji in Jere town along the Abuja-Kaduna Highway and reportedly abducted 22 villagers.
Though Kaduna Police spokesman ASP Mohammed Jalinge could not be reached for confirmation of the incident, Senator Shehu Sani, who represented Kaduna Central in the 8th National Assembly, confirmed it on his verified twitter account.
Sani identified those kidnapped as one Alhaji Yusuf and his family; Alhaji Kasuwa and his family; Dantala Direba and his family; Sule Maishago and his family and unspecified number of Almajiri children.
According to him: “Yesternight, bandits raided Jere, Kagarko in Kaduna State near Abuja and kidnapped some people;Alh Yusuf & his family.Alh Kasuwa & his family.Dantala Direba & his family.Sule maishago & his family & unspecified number of Almajirai.We pray for their release.”
A resident of the community, Shehu Bala, who confirmed the latest abduction, told journalists the incident happened around 11pm on Sunday.
He said the bandits, who came in large numbers, invaded some houses and whisked away 22 residents, including five women.
“The bandits came in their large numbers as some of them wore army uniforms. They moved from house to house and woke their victims up before they marched them into the bush at gunpoint,” he said.
According to him, the bandits operated silently in the community for over an hour.
He added they only started shooting sporadically to scare people after leaving the community.
Bala however said one of the 22 kidnapped victims escaped from his abductors while being led into the bush.
