El-Rufai confirms Ansaru’s presence, to relocate 3 suspicious settlements

Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State has confirmed the presence of Ansaru terrorists and other insurgents in the state.

He said the rising presence of Ansaru and Boko Haram terrorists in the state was responsible for the March 28 attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train in which nine people were killed and 62 others kidnapped.

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The governor also said the state government might relocate or clear three communities: Rijana, Kateri and Akilibu, along the Kaduna-Abuja highway due to the activities of informants in the areas.

The governor said most of the high profile kidnappings happened near the communities, adding that there were concerns about informants residing in the areas and assisting the bandits.

El-Rufai spoke during the presentation of the first quarter security report for 2022 by the state’s Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan.

The governor said, “We will either relocate or clear these three settlements along that road. We will discuss this in our cabinet meeting by looking at all the options, including clearing these three settlements. This is because there are informants playing a vital role in most of the crimes committed along that road.”

El-Rufai also threatened to demolish any patent store selling illicit drugs in the state, saying bandits and terrorists were taking them before attacking citizens.

He further said the deteriorating security situation in the North West was far worse than what the country experienced in the North East because members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram elements had moved into the state. The governor also said his administration was looking at the possibility of recruiting additional 1,000 vigilantes to add to the already recruited 1,000 that were trained at the police command last year to assist the security agencies in the fight against banditry.

He lamented that security agencies were overstretched and inadequate, hence the need to recruit more vigilantes.

In his remarks, Aruwan said 360 people, 305 males, 45 females and 11 minors, were killed between January and March 2022 across the state.

He said 1,389 others, 350 males, 420 females and 79 minors, were kidnapped, while 3,251 cattle were rustled within the period under review.

He added that 41 bandits were killed by security agencies in different operations carried out, while over 60 bandits were killed through airstrikes.

Daily Trust had reported that informants were aiding the abduction of travellers on the highway following the abduction of scores on Tuesday near Kurmin Kare Forest, close to Kateri village.