By Oluseye Ojo
No fewer than 400 persons have been abducted in the reported cases of kidnapping in Nigeria within the past seven days, while at least 67 others were killed by gunmen and other invaders.
Investigations conducted by Saturday Sun on the reported cases of kidnapping and killings in the country yesterday revealed that 40,000 people have lost their lives and two million displaced since 2009 over the insecurity in the nation.
On Thursday March 7, 2024, more than 287 students and pupils of between eight and 15 years were kidnapped from the LEA Primary School, and Government Secondary School, Kuriga, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State. One person was reportedly shot dead in the process.
Two days earlier, at least 50 persons, including a family of seven, were on Tuesday March 5 feared dead during a militia clash in Gbagir community in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State. Also, on Thursday March 7, at least 16 persons were also feared dead by gunmen suspected to be bandits in some communities in Gwer East Local Government of the state.
In Borno State, 113 people, mostly women, were abducted by non-state armed group from an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in the Ngala Local Government Area of the state. But the police could not give a precise figure for the number kidnapped. But an officer at the Ngala Local Government Information Unit, confirmed 113 people missing out of almost 104,000 people, mostly women and children, in the camp.
This came as the country seems to have forgotten the kidnap case of 30 students of Federal University Gusau in Zamfara State. The victims comprised 24 females, and they were kidnapped from three students’ rented apartments in Sabon Gida Village near the university.
On August 17, 2023, 11 prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and a bus driver, were kidnapped in Zamfara State on their way to the NYSC Orientation Camp in Sokoto State.
The NYSC had confirmed that 11 persons were kidnapped, out of whom three managed to escape during the abduction, leaving eight and the driver taken to the bush. One individual was rescued on September 1, 2023 while another regained freedom on October 20. The latest two regained freedom in December, remaining four still in kidnappers’ den.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has ordered troops to track down the kidnappers and rescue more than 287 pupils kidnapped this week in Kaduna State.
Kaduna State governor, Uba Sani, also said on Thursday when he visited Kuriga that “As of this moment, we have not been able to know the number of children or students that have been kidnapped. No child will be left behind.”