Not less than 937 residents of Kaduna state were killed due to banditry and communal conflict, while 1,972 citizens of the state were kidnapped for ransom between January and December 2020, Kaduna state security eport has said.
Igabi Local Government Area (LGA) recorded the highest number of killings 152 followed by Kajuru 144, Birnin Gwari 122 and Chikun 120.
Birnin Gwari had the highest number of kidnapped victims 519, followed by Igabi 411, Chikun 320 and Kachia 254.
Zango Kataf had 114 deaths and five kidnapped cases, Giwa recorded 74 deaths and 211 kidnapped victims.
Kaduna state Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr Samuel Aruwan, while presenting the 2020 security report to Governor Nasir el-Rufai at the Kshim Ibrahim Government House, said that 7,195 animals were rustled in Kaduna state within the same period.
According to Aruwan, insecurity has hampered economic activities in the state with farming the mainstay of residents adversely affected in Birnin Gwari, Igabi, Giwa, Kachia, Kajuru, Kajuru and Zango Kataf local governments.
He said Birnin Gwari, Giwa, Igabi and Chikun local governments were mostly affected in zone 2 due to banditry, kidnapping, killing and reprisals. Zango Kataf, Kaura, Kajuru and Jema’a local governments were mostly affected in Southern Kaduna zone 3 due to kidnappings, killings and reprisals.
He noted that Kachia and Kagarko LGAs recorded 274 kidnappings due to the two councils being along the Kaduna – Abuja highway, adding that Kaduna Central zone, particularly Birnin Gwari, Igabi, Giwa and Chikun recorded 80% of the total animal rustling in the state.
Aruwan blamed the high rate of killings and kidnappings to “protective cover by communities given to people of their community who committed kidnapping, banditry, widespread politicisation and ethnicisation of insecurity in Kaduna for political agenda, usurpation of the mandates of elected representatives by non state actors and deliberate malicious media campaign.”
Responding to the report, governor Nasir el-Rufai said criminal gangs made a conscious decision to attack Nigeria’s sovereignty by indulging in banditry, kidnapping and other crimes and they should be treated as criminals by being killed wherever they are found, noting that they have cost Nigeria and Nigerians so much.
He however commended the security agencies for their immeasurable effort in safeguarding the people of the state, saying, “there must be urgent national effort to strengthen our security forces. There is a need for advanced technologies, more armaments and more boots on ground. The people in uniform must never be put in danger, they must not be outgunned or outnumbered by non-state actors.”
The event was witnessed by the deputy governor, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, the Secretary to State Government (SSG), the three Senators from Kaduna state, top government functionaries, the Emir of Zazzau, the Emir of Birnin Gwari, the Agwa Tyap, top security officials, British High Commissioner, Sheikh Ahmed Gumi, Bishop Idowu Fearon, Mr Andrew Yakubu who joined online.