From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Residents of Kugauta community of Kusheka, Kumana Chiefdom, and Kitanda community of Geshere, Kumana Chiefdom in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State were, on Saturday, thrown into pain and agony as terrorists abducted 22 persons from the communities.
When contacted on phone, the Kaduna State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, told our correspondent, “I am in a meeting, I will get back to you.”
However, he didn’t get back as of the time of filing this report.
Sunday Sun gathered that the terrorists invaded the two communities in separate attacks on the night of Friday, preceding Saturday, kidnapping 22 locals, mostly women and children.
Sources explained that 12 locals were kidnapped in the Kitanda community of Geshere, Kumana Chiefdom, while 10 locals were also whisked away in the Kugauta community of Kusheka, Kumana Chiefdom.
Residents lamented that despite the escalating kidnappings by bandits and other criminal elements in their communities, only three policemen were manning their community and neighbouring villages.
Reports said the communities and surrounding villages have been consistently attacked, with villagers being kidnapped daily.
“The police officers manning our communities cannot secure our villages; the government must show us that we’re Nigerians and have equal rights to be protected by Nigerian government authorities.
“Most locals were forced to leave their villages due to the escalating kidnappings and killings of our loved ones.
“We’re facing an infrastructural deficit in terms of road networks, hospitals, and schools. We can hardly take our farm produce to the market because of the nature of the roads here.
“The situation in our respective communities is worrisome, and the government must show some level of seriousness in handling the persistent insecurity problems in the areas.
“The army, NAF, and other sister security agencies must conduct offensive operations to flush these bandits terrorising our communities out of those camps.
“These bandits have meted all kinds of hardship on our people, crippling our economy and plunging us into abject poverty.
“We are calling on the government to establish police stations and army operating bases in strategic areas that’ll help in addressing the escalating insecurity bedevilling our environment daily,” residents said.