Six days after 65 persons from Adara community were abducted from Libere Gida, Kallah Ward in Kajuru Local Government Area (LGA) in Southern part of Kaduna State, the kidnappers have made contact with the community.
A statement signed by the spokesman of Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU), Luka Binniyat said the kidnappers who made contact last Friday, April 29, 2021 disclosed that they have not only 65 but 77 persons in their custody.
The statement said they also made a demand for the sum of N350 million as ransom.
According to him, SOKAPU had earlier reported that 10 of the 65 abducted villagers were able to escape a day after they were kidnapped. “Going by latest village headcount, 72 persons are being held by the kidnappers. They are made up of 16 males 56 and females.
“It will, therefore, mean that the kidnappers have captured some other persons to make up for the 77 captives they are claiming.”
SOKAPU, however, is surprised that the Kaduna State Government that has made it a habit of churning out daily updates on the security situation in Kaduna state has not made any mention of this mass abduction which occurred in Libere Gida around 11:30pm of the 22nd April, 2021.
Binniyat explained that Libere is close to the three major IDP camps in Kajuru LGA. They are in Kallah town, Geffe and Rimau where not less than 5,000 have been staying under subhuman conditions since they were chased out from their various villages in May 2020 by armed Fulani herdsmen.
“Kaduna State Government has never visited or mentioned their existence not to talk of assisting them with any relief material.
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“Meanwhile, after unceasing siege on farming communities in Kajuru LGA, more communities have fallen under the control of these armed men, which we now suspect to be a coalition of armed herdsmen and Boko Haram”.
Mr. Binniyat said that in the past one week, communities of Libere village in Kallah ward, Kujeni and part of Kutura in Tantatu ward, including Kurmin Wali in Afogo ward have fled.
This is in addition to the 26 other Adara communities of Kajuru that have fallen to the armed invaders, some of them dating back to 2019.
He named the communities as Kallah Ward, Kihoro-Libere, Bakin Kogi, Umiko, Magunguna, Idazo, Ungwan , Galadima, Ungwan Guza, Etiss, Ungwan Ma’aji, Ungwan Dantata, Ungwan Araha 1 & 2, Ungwan Goshi, Ungwan Shaban, Ungwan Jibo, Ungwan Maijama’a, Ungwan Sako, Ungwan Maidoki, Ungwan Masaba
Others are in Tantatu Ward; Ungwan Makware and Idon Ward; Edanu, Ungwan Mudi, Ungwan Rana, Ifele, Ungwan Gora
He said so far the total number of communities catured by the armed invaders in Kajuru LGA is now 31.
He also noted that not less than 100 communities of Southern Kaduna are already in the hands of the invaders.
“Some of the communities in Chikun LGA are contagious to Shiroro LGA of Niger State, where Boko Haram hoisted its flag last week$, he said.
