Bandits kill two, abduct 20 in Kaduna

Bandits have killed two persons and abducted 20 others during an attack on Wednesday at about 12 noon, in Akwando community in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Confirming the incident on Thursday, the President of the Kuturmi Unity Development Association (KUDA), Joseph Ariko, alongside the Publicity Secretary of the association, Hon. Manasseh Akwando, released a list containing the names of the 20 abducted residents. The victims include men, women, and children forcibly taken from their homes.

The association also revealed that the incident compounds the trauma of an Easter Sunday attack on Ariko, a neighbouring community, which claimed five lives and resulted in 17 additional deaths in captivity. A separate assault on Awon community also left two dead, 11 abducted, and five dead in captivity.

KUDA alleged that armed groups have been demanding levies from residents before they can access their farmlands, thereby disrupting agricultural activities and resulting in mass displacement.

“The recurrence of attacks, killings, abductions and displacement across our communities has become an increasingly serious humanitarian and security concern…We are demanding the protection of our fundamental rights as Nigerian citizens, including the rights to life, dignity, personal security, freedom of movement and the peaceful enjoyment of our ancestral heritage”.

The association appealed to President Bola Tinubu, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, the National Security Adviser, and the Chief of Defence Staff to urgently deploy adequately equipped security personnel and establish permanent posts in Akwando, Ariko, Awon, and other vulnerable areas.