Bandits killed 1,192 persons and abducted 3,348 others across Kaduna State in 2021, a state government report has revealed.
The report’s breakdown shows that among those killed comprised 1,038 men, 104 women and 50 minors.
This is contained in a security situation report from January to December 2021 as presented by the state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, to the state governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on Tuesday.
Aruwan said, “Kaduna Central Senatorial District recorded 720 deaths from banditry, communal clashes, violence attacks and reprisal attacks.
“Southern Kaduna Senatorial District accounted for 406 deaths due to communal clashes alongside banditry.”
In his remarks, El-Rufai said based on the security report presented, an average of nine persons were kidnapped daily by bandits across the state in 2021.
El-Rufai, therefore, called on the Nigerian Government to create a theatre command similar to the one in the North-East to confront the insurgency affecting five states in North-West.
He said, “Kaduna State Government appeals to the Federal Government to create a Theatre Command similar to the situation in the North-East to confront the insurgency that has clearly emerged in five states of the North-West and Niger State with continuous and contiguous forest ranges.
“The creation of such a Theatre Command will enable holistic approach to counter-insurgent operations across the six affected states and the enhanced coordination of the resources of the Armed Forces, the Police, the DSS (Department of State Services), our respective State Vigilance Services, hunters and other local volunteers to fight the insurgents.”
The governor further disclosed that there is also an escalation in the number of persons killed by a whopping 255 compared to those killed by bandits and other criminals in 2020 in spite of its support for the federal security agencies to bring an end to the problem.
