Siphiwe Dlamini
In a distressing development from northwestern Nigeria, officials and a United Nations informant have reported the abduction of numerous villagers in a recent event, echoing a similar incident where over 250 schoolchildren were taken in the vicinity just days prior.
These abductions are the latest in a series of kidnappings across northwest Nigeria, where criminals target schools, villages, and major roads to quickly capture people for ransom.
The incident unfolded in the Kajuru district of Kaduna State as security personnel were already engaged in efforts to locate the pupils abducted last week from a school in Kuriga village, approximately 150 kilometres away.
This wave of kidnappings presents a significant challenge to the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who has committed to addressing national security issues amidst managing an economic crisis and aiming to attract more investments to the nation, which is the most populous in Africa.
Requests for comments on the latest kidnapping from Kaduna State officials remained unanswered as of Wednesday.
Local council member Abubakar Buda, in a statement to Channels TV, detailed that the assailants invaded the village early Tuesday. They went from house to house, forcibly taking residents, while also indiscriminately firing shots.
Buda mentioned that the situation was only prevented from worsening due to military intervention, as reported by Channels. State legislator Usman Danlami Stingo, speaking to Arise News, indicated that the kidnappers took 32 women and 29 men.
An unnamed source from the UN also confirmed the early Tuesday incursion by armed individuals into the village.
“The initial count was 40 individuals abducted, but the number later increased to around 60,” the source noted.
Current efforts involve military searches through the northwest forests to locate and rescue the Kuriga students, although relatives report receiving minimal updates since the kidnappings occurred.
Muhammad Kabir, a family member of one of the victims, expressed to AFP on Wednesday their reliance on divine intervention alongside government negotiations with the kidnappers.
In response to the growing concern, the national police force’s inspector-general, Kayode Egbetokun, assured on Tuesday the deployment of officers throughout the state to restore confidence and security among the residents of Kaduna, particularly those in rural areas.
These recent kidnappings in Kaduna State, alongside another incident in the northeast, resonate with the international shock caused nearly a decade ago by the abduction of more than 250 schoolgirls by Boko Haram militants from Chibok in Borno state.
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