Bandits have abducted 40 worshippers in Bayan Kasuwa Quarters, Kasuwan Magani in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
National President of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) Dr. Awemi Maisamari, who confirmed the incident to newsmen in Kaduna, on Monday, September 19, said the bandits had contacted families of the victims and demanded N200m ransom.
According to SOKAPU, the incidents took place on September 12 and 13, at Kasuwan Magani area of Kajuru LGA, some few kilometres away form the metropolis.
“There is still no breathing space for communities in Southern Kaduna. Terrorists, jihadists, bandits and armed herdsmen, have continued to plunder and wreck communities in the southern part of the state,” he said.
“The latest are the mass abductions that took place on September 12 and 13, 2022, at Kasuwan Magani in Kajuru LGA of Southern Kaduna.
“Kasuwan Magani is about 20km south of Kaduna metropolis on the Kaduna-Kafanchan Express road and hosts the biggest weekly market in Kaduna State.
‘On the first day September 12, six people were abducted in a night raid by the terrorists at Ungwan Fada part of the town.
“With no measures put in place to forestall a recurrence, the following day, September 13, the terrorists stormed the Cherubim and Seraphim Church, during a night vigil programme at the Bayan Kasuwa quarters of Kasuwan Magani Town, at around midnight.
“They succeeded in carting away more than sixty people from the church and neighbouring houses. However, they were not able to take all of them away because some were very little children, too aged or had health challenges.
“While retreating with their captors to their camps, they attacked Janwuriya village, few kilometres from Kasuwan Magani, and abducted two more persons.
“As at now, 45 people have so far been confirmed abducted. Yesterday, however, on September 18, 2022, the abductors made contact with some people in the town via phone calls and claimed that only 40 persons were held by them.
“They demanded for a ransom of N200 million, but negotiation is still ongoing. We do not know the identity or the fate of the 5 missing persons yet”
