ABUJA: Kidnappers have reportedly abducted over 100 persons in two separate attacks in northwest Nigeria, adding to the escalating crisis of insecurity in the region. The incidents occurred in the Kajuru area of Kaduna state, just weeks after more than 250 school pupils were kidnapped in the same state, according to residents and officials, AFP reported on Monday.
The first attack occurred on Saturday in the village of Dogon Noma, approximately 10 kilometers away from Kajuru Station. According to witness accounts, gunmen stormed the village and abducted 16 people, marking the beginning of the unsettling wave of kidnappings.
Subsequently, on Sunday night, the situation intensified as armed assailants raided Kajuru Station, kidnapping a staggering 87 persons from their homes at gunpoint. Residents described the assailants as groups of attackers, locally known as bandits, who systematically went door to door, abducting residents in the dead of night.
Large-scale Abductions in Nigeria
Confirmation of the abductions was provided by local government chairman Ibrahim Gajere, alongside witness testimonies from residents such as Harisu Dari. The Kaduna police and the state’s security commissioner did not respond to requests for confirmation, underscoring the challenges authorities face in responding to the surge in criminal activity.
These kidnappings add to the ongoing crisis of insecurity in northwest Nigeria, where criminal gangs frequently target schools, villages, and highways to abduct large numbers of people for ransom payments. The recent abduction of over 250 pupils from a school in Kuriga village, located approximately 150 kilometers from Kajuru district, serves as a stark reminder of the gravity of the situation.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government has vowed to tackle insecurity, yet the spate of large-scale abductions continues unabated. Nigerian risk consultancy SBM Intelligence reported a staggering tally of 4,777 people abducted since Tinubu assumed office in May last year.
