Residents of Kugauta and Kitanda communities in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State were thrown into despair as armed bandits launched separate attacks, abducting 22 people, mostly women and children.
The attacks occurred on Friday night and continued into the early hours of Saturday, targeting Kugauta in Kusheka, Kumana Chiefdom, and Kitanda in Geshere, Kumana Chiefdom.
According to local sources, 12 individuals were kidnapped from Kitanda, while 10 were taken from Kugauta.
Despite the rising insecurity in the area, residents lamented that their communities and surrounding villages are manned by only three police officers, leaving them vulnerable to frequent attacks.
“The police cannot secure our villages. The government must show us that we are Nigerians and have equal rights to be protected,” a distressed resident said.
The affected communities have been under consistent siege by bandits, forcing many locals to abandon their homes and livelihoods.
Residents are calling on the government to establish police stations and army bases in strategic locations to address the escalating insecurity.
“Our economy is crippled, and we are plunged into poverty due to these attacks. We cannot take our farm produce to the market because of the poor road network, and we have no hospitals or schools,” another resident lamented.
