Protest in Kaduna community over persistent kidnapping

Residents of Danhonu II community in New Millennium City, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, on Monday staged a protest at the Millennium City Divisional Police Headquarters over recurring kidnapping attacks.

The protesters, as early as 7 o’clock on Monday, blocked the major access road to the police station, chanting and demanding urgent security intervention to halt the wave of abductions in their neighbourhood.

They said bandits struck again at about 11:30 p.m. on Sunday, abducting seven persons from two families in the latest attack.

Among those kidnapped are Malam Yahaya Yusuf, his wife, Latifat Yusuf, and their sons, Abdulgafar and Abdulqudus.

Also abducted were Mrs Abdulrazak Jimoh and two of her children.

The residents said the latest incident brings to 11 the number of kidnapping cases recorded in the small community within a few months.

They alleged that all the attacks have targeted non-indigenes residing in the area, heightening suspicion of possible informants within the community.

The protesters called on security agencies to carry out a thorough investigation into the recurring incidents and “fish out collaborators aiding the criminals”.

Leader of the protesters and Chairman of the Danhonu II Landlords Association, Mr Akoh Salifu, said the community could no longer live in peace.

“We are here because we can no longer live in peace. The pressure from repeated kidnapping incidents has become unbearable for us,” he said.

Salifu added that some youths attempted to trail the kidnappers into the bush after Sunday night’s attack but could not reach them.

“As law-abiding citizens, we decided to come to the police to formally register our grievances and cry out for urgent intervention to save our community,” he said.

When contacted, the Kaduna State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Mansir Hassan, said the police received a distress call on the attack late on Sunday and responded promptly by deploying officers, who were joined by soldiers, to the scene.

He, however, lamented that due to the terrain and poor road network leading to the community, security operatives arrived late, allowing the bandits to escape with the victims despite an exchange of gunfire.

The Police Public Relations Officer said the Commissioner of Police, CP Rabiu Muhammad, visited the community and held a meeting with community leaders, disclosing that the Command would consider establishing a police outpost in the community.