ABUJA, May 1 (NNN-NAN) – A total of 323 people were killed and 949 others kidnapped, within three months, in a spate of attacks by gunmen, who have been on the rampage in Nigeria’s north-western state of Kaduna, an official data released by the government yesterday indicated.
In a security report, for the first quarter of 2021, the Kaduna government also confirmed that troops killed 64 gunmen and arrested several gunrunners, during the period under review.
The report, according to Samuel Aruwan, the commissioner for internal security and home affairs in the state, covers various attacks, including banditry, reprisal attacks, kidnapping, and cattle-rustling in the state.
Of the total number of deaths recorded from the various aforementioned attacks, 20 were women and 11 were minors, Aruwan noted.
The official said, however, that, multiple scores of bandits were neutralised, via about 150 targeted aerial missions, conducted by the Nigeria air force, during the period under review.
“These missions were initiated, based on credible intelligence of bandit activity and locations of camps, which were targeted and destroyed,” he said.
He added that, vigorous investigations are ongoing towards dismantling more gun-running and arms routes into the state, as these are central to the perpetuation of violence and armed banditry, through the trade in small arms and light weapons.– NNN-NAN
