Bandits kill 2, abduct 16 in Kaduna village

Bandits have reportedly killed two persons and abducted 16 others, including a 13-year-old child at Kudiri village in Kagarko LGA of Kaduna State.

 A resident of Kagarko, Yahuza Bala, said the incident happened on Saturday around 11pm when the bandits, in their large numbers, wielding sophisticated weapons, invaded the community.

 He said the bandits, who came through the neighboring Haying -Tunga village, which shares a border with Niger State, attacked some houses and whisked away the victims into the bush.

 He said the bandits surrounded the community and shot sporadically into different directions, leading to the death of two villagers, who were hit by stray bullets.

 Bala said a contact had been established with the bandits through one of the abducted victims’ phones and that they were demanding ransoms and foodstuffs.

 He said, “Actually, the bandits’ leader called on Tuesday afternoon and demanded a ransom and food stuffs from the victims’ families, even though I can’t disclose the amount for security reasons.’’

Meanwhile, two suspected bandits’ informants were said to have been arrested around the neighbouring Haying -Tunga village.

 Another source from Kagarko town, who preferred to remain anonymous, said the suspects were arrested on Tuesday at a forest in the area while conveying food stuffs to the bandits.

 “The two suspects came on a motorcycle on an errand to buy food stuffs at Kudiri village for the bandits when luck ran out of them,” he said.

There was no official response from the spokesman of the Kaduna State Police Command over the incident as at the time of filing the report.