Bandits takeover Kaduna communities, block highway, seize travelers, vehicles

The Birnin Emirate Progressive Union (BEPU) has reported that on Sunday, armed robbers broke into the Kurgin Gabas hamlet in Kaduna State’s Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area and kidnapped three farmers.

In a statement made available to Ripples Nigeria on Monday, the Union claimed that since September 1, bandits have taken control of several communities in Birnin-Gwari, blocked the Birnin-Gwari-Funtua Highway, seized over 30 vehicles, including large trucks, and demanded ransom and levies from the populace.

The statement signed by the Chairman of BEPU, Ishaq Usman Kasai, also said that many of the travellers abducted were yet to be released.

“Another disturbing scenario is that the bandits have carted away all the goods contained in the trapped vehicles and people were forced to pay huge amounts of money ranging from N300,000 to N1 million in order to retrieve their trapped vehicles,” the group lamented.

It added that the bandits charged the

“BEPU is therefore appealing for mobilisation of troops to ensure opening of Birnin-Gwari-Funtua Road and for retrieval of the trapped vehicles unconditionally.”

Attempts to get a confirmation from the Kaduna State Police Command’s spokesman, DSP Muhammad Jalige, proved abortive as calls to his phones were not responded to at the time of going to press.