Church Abduction: Kaduna Villagers Counter Police Report

• Recount horror in hands of bandits

Residents of Kurmin Wali village in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State have narrated how bandits attacked their community on Sunday and abducted many persons.

Some of those who escaped from the bandits and families of those abducted were reported to have confirmed yesterday during a visit that many people were taken away by gunmen.

They recounted that the bandits stormed the village, surrounded it and kidnapped their victims before taking them into the forest.

This is even as many of the residents said they could no longer sleep in their homes at night for fear of at tacks.

Although the Kaduna State Government and Police Command had said there was no kidnapping in the community, residents and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) have insisted that the dozens of people were abducted and still with the bandits in the bush.

A convoy of security agencies, comprising the military, the police and others, were sighted heading for the community yesterday.

‘My wife, 5 children among captives’ Jonathan Na Allah, a resident of Kurmin Wali, reported that bandits abducted his wife and five children during the attack.

He said the incident occurred early in the morning during church services He said members of the local vigilante group alerted them that the bandits were approaching the village.

“As people tried to run, we realised that the bandits had already surrounded the village. Anyone who tried to escape was threatened with a gun,” he said.

Jonathan explained that he managed to escape by hiding inside a house, but his wife and five children were not as lucky as they were picked and taken to the forest.

Also speaking to our correspondent, another resident, who simply identified himself as Joseph’s father, said his wife and child were still being held by the bandits.

He said although he escaped, the bandits beat him before taking his wife and child away.

“What hurts us most is hearing people say that nothing happened in our village,” he said.

166 persons in captivity – Village head

The village head of Kurmin Wali, Ishaku Dan’azumi Sidi, told our correspondent, that no fewer than 166 persons are currently in the custody of the bandits.

He said he narrowly escaped near a river while many villagers were being marched into the forest.

According to him, fear has forced many residents to leave settlements located deep in the forest, while those who remain now sleep in the bush at night and return to the village during the day.

The village head also said the community is facing serious food shortage after residents sold their farm produce last week to raise ransom for the release of 21 people abducted earlier, only for the bandits to strike again days later.

“We are appealing for help because we have no food and nothing left to secure the release of our relatives still in captivity,” he said.

Sources told our correspondent that the bandits are demanding 17 motorcycles as ransom before releasing the abducted villagers.