The Kaduna State government, on Wednesday, disclosed that no fewer than 888 people have been killed and 2,553 kidnapped in Kaduna State from January to September, 2021.
The state government also revealed that 720 people were injured within the same period.
Presenting the third quarter security report in Kaduna, Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said 220 bandits have been killed while over 12,000 cattle were rustled between January and September 2021.
Aruwan explained that 325 people were killed in the state in the first quarter of the year, 222 killed in the second quarter, while 343 people were killed in the third quarter, totaling 888.
Aruwan also revealed that 949 people were kidnapped in the first quarter, 774 people were abducted in the second quarter, while 830 people were kidnapped in the last three months.
Speaking on the breakdown of the report for the third quarter, Aruwan said, “from July to September 2021, a total of 343 persons died due to banditry, communal clashes, violent attacks and reprisals. Of this, 50 were women, and 22 were children. Southern Kaduna district records 193 deaths in the third quarter, over 56% of the total.
“This number is largely made up of victims of violent attacks and reprisals in Zango Kataf, Kaura and Nauru LGAs. These areas witnessed series of clashes early in the year, which spiralled into a succession of increasingly deadly communal and inter-ethnic attacks across the three LGAs, 114 people died in Zango Kataf LGA, and 19 in Kaura LGA in the period under review.”
Aruwan added: “130 deaths were recorded in Kaduna Central Senatorial District (38% of the total), 125 of these occurred in Birnin Gwari, Giwa, Igabi, Chikun and Kajuru LGAs. Chikun LGA recorded 37 deaths, Igabi LGA 29, Giwa LGA 27, Kajuru LGA recorded seven deaths in the third quarter. The Northern Senatorial District recorded 20 people killed in the third quarter with five deaths recorded in Lere LGA.”
