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Noah Ebije and Sola Ojo, Kaduna
Bandits on Saturday went gaga and abducted 17 members of a family who are all peasant farmers in Manini village along Birnin-Gwari highway in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The bandits were said to have also ransacked the entire village, injuring over four other persons. Chikun LGA headquarters in Kajuma axis of the Southern Kaduna extends to Birnin-Gwari highway of the eastern flank of the state. Some of the survivors who spoke to our Correspondent on phone said the villagers have relocated to a nearby village, Udawa. According to the head of the family who is receiving a trado-medical treatment over gunshot, Mallam Yakubu Barauni, told journalists on Sunday that he was shot in his two legs by the bandits. Barauni said amongst those abducted were a nursing mother, who had her baby (female) strapped on her back, three other women and the rest male children as well as adults.
He said, “yesterday, Saturday, September 12, at about 7am while on our way to the farm around Gonar Lema along the Birnin Gwari highway, we were attacked by some bandits. They took away 17 people of an entire family. They also shot four of us. Three had been taken to Kaduna(town) where they are now receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital.
“We have reported the attack to the police in the area and they (police) had visited the scene of the attack.”
He expressed concern that the bandits were yet to contact the community to know the whereabouts of the victims, particularly women and children among them.
“The bandits are yet to call to let us know the whereabouts of those kidnapped or place ransom but we have reported the incident to the police. We are worried because amongst those taken away are nursing mother with her baby, children and women,” he added. Also, speaking from treatment bed, another injured victim, Isah Wuyah said, “ The bandits are now demanding for N120 million ransom. So we are calling on government and well meaning Nigerians to come to our rescue”.
However, when our Correspondent put a phone call across to the State Police Command Spokesman, ASP Mohammed Jalige, about the incident, he did not respond at the time of filing this report.
