Residents of Gauraka town, Niger State, are still passing their nights away from their homes for fear of being kidnapped while others have completely relocated to other locations as tenants.
This is happening even after a series of raids on the kidnappers’ hideout in Apo forest at the outskirts of the community by a joint security force.
It was gathered that about 20 residents abducted during two separate attacks on the community were rescued by the security men five days ago.
It could be recalled that youths in their hundreds blocked the Abuja/Kaduna highway penultimate Monday around the area, protesting the series of kidnapping incidents there, which had led to the grid lock for over 7 hours.
A resident, Musa Abubakar, while speaking to Daily Trust yesterday, said residents of Unguwar Boko and Barau no longer sleep in the area for fear of attack, returning only in the day and fleeing in the evening.
He said following the last protest, security men surrounded the hideout of the gunmen, and rescued the 20 persons while the gunmen fled.
He said before the development, the kidnappers were planning to carry out attacks on the centre of the town.
Another resident, Ya’u Ahmed, also lamented that some residents have already relocated to other places either as tenants or to squat with relatives.
It was gathered that while the security men have succeeded in dislodging the attackers from their bases, the gunmen, on the other hand, keep disturbing the rescued people through phone calls demanding to send money to them, or to kidnap them again.
Efforts to speak to the Suleja Police Area Commander, ACP Sani Badarawa, were not successful as he was not able to answer calls made to him by our reporter yesterday.
