Residents of Danhonu II community in New Millennium City, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, staged a protest on Monday over rising cases of kidnapping in the area, following the abduction of seven people by suspected bandits.
The protesters marched to the Millennium City Divisional Police Headquarters, where they blocked a major road while singing protest songs and calling on security agencies to act swiftly.
The latest incident reportedly occurred around 11:30pm on Sunday when armed men invaded the community and kidnapped members of two different families.
Those abducted were identified as Malam Yahaya Yusuf, his wife Latifat, and their two sons, Abdulgafar and Abdulqudus. Also taken were Mrs Abdulrazak Jimoh and two of her children, whose names were not immediately made known.
Residents said the abductions have thrown the community into fear, noting that the latest case brought the total number of kidnapping incidents in the area to 11 within a few months.
They alleged that the attacks were mostly directed at non-indigenes living in the community, raising suspicions that informants might be helping the criminals.
One of the protesters, who spoke anonymously, claimed that the kidnappers arrived in large numbers and were heavily armed.
“In the last one month, more than four residents have been kidnapped here. Yesterday, about 15 bandits armed with AK-47 rifles came and abducted several people to an unknown place,” the protester said.
The Chairman of the Danhonu II Landlords Association, Mr Akoh Salifu, who led the protest, said residents were no longer safe due to the frequent kidnappings.
“We can no longer live in peace. These repeated kidnappings have put unbearable pressure on the community,” he said.
Salifu added that some youths attempted to chase the kidnappers into the bush after Sunday’s attack but failed to catch them.
“As law-abiding citizens, we decided to come here to report formally and demand urgent intervention to protect our people,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the Kaduna State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, confirmed the incident, saying officers responded after receiving a distress call.
He explained that police personnel, alongside soldiers, were deployed to the area but arrived late due to bad roads and difficult terrain. This, he said, allowed the attackers to escape after exchanging gunfire with security operatives.
Hassan also disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, CP Rabiu Muhammad, visited the community and held discussions with local stakeholders, assuring them that the command would consider setting up a police outpost in the area.
