Two persons including a suspected kidnapper and targeted ‘cash-cow’ have reportedly lost their lives during a failed kidnap attempt at a community popularly known as Angwan Kaje, in Chikun Local Government area of Kaduna State.
Chikun local government is second after Birni Gwari local government when it comes to banditry and kidnapping activities that had led to the death of many locals and large amount of money paid as ransom between 2016 and January 2020.
A source who spoke in confidence, told our corresspondent that a gang of kidnappers came calling after a notice of the attack was sent to the community three weeks earlier, but, met a strong resistance from their target which led to an exchange of fire and subsequent killing of one of the kidnappers and the target himself.
“This was not the first time these people attacked and kidnapped our people. We have been paying ransom. The community is directly opposite Faith Academy at the outskirts of Mararaban Rido.
“When one of us was kidnapped some weeks ago and later released after ransom was paid, he told us that the kidnappers asked him if he had met them before and he said no. It was then that they told him that, it was some people in the community that share information about their next target with them.
“What they do is to come around fully armed based on whatever information they have and pick people from selected houses and lead them into the bush.
“Unfortunately when they came this time, they met a strong resistance. They ran away and left their dead colleague who happened to be someone the people know. We don’t know what will happen next.
“For how long are we going to be living like prisoners in our own country? The government should allow people to bear firearms since the criminals already have them which they are using to terrorize us”, he said.
When contacted through his mobile line, the Police Public Relations Officer for Kaduna Clcommand, ASP Muhammad Jalige said, he was getting his facts and figure as at the time of filing this report.
