Bandits in the early hours of Tuesday, 31 May, were reported to have abducted students and other travellers along the Birnin-Gwari highway in Kaduna State.
The Public Relations Officer of the the Birnin Gwari Emirate Progressive Union, BEPU, Mr. Idris Shehu, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.
TheFact Nigeria gathered that the bandits laid siege on three different locations on the highway, forcing motorists to make u-turns, while those who were not lucky fell into their traps and were subsequently abducted.
According to the statement, the bandits intercepted a convoy of motorists with security escorts between Kuriga and Manini near Udawa and preyed on an unspecified number of people that were abducted into the bush.
The statement added, “In the last four days terrorists had laid siege on motorists on Birnin-Gwari-Kaduna highway, abducting as well as killing and wounded many innocent citizens, yet our people are reduced to silence mode with no reportage of the ugly situation nor any move by the authorities to show concern on the deteriorating security around Birnin-Gwari-Kaduna highway”.
In addition to the abduction, eight vehicles conveying students to their examination for admission into the School of Health at Makarfi, scheduled for Kaduna State University, were set ablaze by the terrorists, while unaccounted number of innocent motorists mostly women and children were waylaid into the bush by the terrorists for ransom.
“One of our officials, Abubakar Haruna Babajo, who escaped, said eight vehicles were set ablaze by the bandits after abducting all the passengers and they were able to escape by Allah’s will”, Shehu explained.
The statement by BEPU advised intending travellers to either suspend their journey or use other possible alternative routes, saying a large number of bandits were currently stationed at about three locations on the highway.
“We call on the local government and especially political leaders and representatives to draw the attention of higher authorities on the deteriorating security situation along our major roads and rural communities which are currently being taken over by bandits and other terrorist groups dislodged in other parts of the country and beyond”, the statement said.
Neither the Police Commissioner in the State nor the Police Command’s spokesperson could be reached for reactions to the incident as at press time.
