PL Gist :- 16 Miners Kidnapped In Kaduna

No fewer than16 persons, with six from the same family have been reportedly kidnapped along Brinin Gwari – Kaduna highway.

According to an eyewitness, the incident occurred on Tuesday around 5:30pm in two separate raids by armed bandits around Tashar Keji/Tsauntsaye near Kuriga and Palwaya near Kwaga along the deadly highway of Brinin Gwari – Kaduna.

Ibrahim Abubakar Nagwari, Chairman, Birnin-Gwari Vanguards for Security and Good Governance in a press statement said, “We can authoritatively confirm the two incidents and the kidnapping of sixteen people mostly artisan miners and the demand of one million naira each per head as ransom.”

The statement gave the names of those kidnapped as: Ashiru, Lawal, Kamaye, Umar, Abdulhameedu, (all from the same family) as well as Umar, Buba, Sarki and five others,
while three people (commuters) completed the number.

“It is our view that the armed bandits have turned Birnin-Gwari to an enclave of terrorism. Our sources of livelihood have been eroded, our social life diminished and our commercial/economic activities grounded.

“The people of Birnin-Gwari are crudely pushed to the extreme wall with the escalating of kidnapping on a daily basis unchallenged,” the statement lamented.

The forum urged the federal government to declare a total war with armed bandits in Birnin-Gwari and brand armed bandits as terrorists.

The statement further explained that the president should as a matter of urgency compel Kaduna State governor to relocate to Birnin-Gwari until peace is restored.

The statement stated, “This organization strongly advocate for a military operations in Birnin-Gwari and neighboring border areas of Niger and Katsina states. Enough is enough.”

Calls put to the Police Public Relations Officer to ascertain the incident were not responded.