Bandits killed 937, kidnapped 1,972 in 2020 in Kaduna —Commissioner

THE Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, has said bandits killed 937 persons and kidnapped 1,972 others in 2020.

In his presentation which he tagged, ‘The Security Situation in Kaduna State, 1st January, 2020, to 31st December, 2020, presented to the governor, Nasir el-Rufai at Government House Chamber, Aruwane said that victims of kidnapping, banditry and other criminal activities cut across all ethnic and religious groups in the state, contrary to skewed narratives.

‘’Victims of criminal acts like banditry and kidnapping are to be found across ethnic, religious or political leanings and persuasions,’’ he pointed out.

The commissioner noted that the total number of deaths linked to banditry and other forms of violence in 2020 is 937, adding that “of this number, Igabi has the highest figure of 152 deaths, followed by Kajuru with a figure of 144 deaths.” According to Aruwan, Birnin Gwari, Igabi, Giwa and Chikun local governments in Kaduna Central senatorial district account for 468 deaths out of the 937 people who died last year, representing over 50 per cent of the entire fatalities in the state.

“The southern senatorial district accounts for 286 deaths, which is about one third of the total, due to large part to sporadic clashes, alongside banditry which triggered attacks and counter-attacks, especially between June and November 2020,” he added.

Aruwan further said that “out of 1,972 people kidnapped in the period under review, Kaduna Central senatorial district accounts for 1,561 and out of the total, 1,461 were kidnapped within Birnin Gwari, Igabi, Giwa and Chikun local government areas.”

Receiving the report, Governor el-Rufai said the state government has been using its limited tools as a subnational to address the security challenges facing the state.

The governor paid tributes to the victims of insecurity, reiterating his administration’s “resolve to continue to protect our people and stop the criminals.”

El-Rufai reiterated that Kaduna State has been supporting the federal security agencies deployed in our state with vehicles and other logistics since 2015.

According to him, the state government has also invested in technology to help secure the state, adding that “a CCTV network is being deployed in Kaduna metropolis, while options for consistent operations of its drones are being explored.”

The governor also explained that Kaduna State has been collaborating with neighbouring states to tackle insecurity. El-Rufai, however, regretted that this collaboration, which was done in 2015, “was not sustained or expanded into a campaign of continuous, simultaneous operations against bandits across our vast region.”

The governor also said that the military and police need modern technology and equipment and more boots on the ground. The governor called for the decentralisation of policing, arguing that ‘’there simply are not enough police officers in Nigeria and the idea of policing such a vast, federal republic in a unitary manner is not pragmatic.”

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives on Wednesday expressed concern over the recurring terrorist attacks in Maiduguri, Borno State, despite the recent appointment of the new service chiefs. The lawmakers expressed the concerns during the debate on a motion titled ‘Call to address the recurring attacks by Boko Haram terrorists in Maiduguri,’ sponsored by Honourable Abdulkadir Rahis.

In his lead debate, Honourable Rahis, who expressed grief over the killings of innocent citizens by the group, solicited for the House’s intervention.

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