Abductions: Rivers LGA Park Chairman Bans Vehicles After 6.00pm; 40 Worshippers Kidnapped In Kaduna

By Charles Igbo

Helpless and frustrated over the unprecedented abductions in his domain, a Local Government Park Chairman in Rivers State has directed both private and commercial vehicles not to be on a particular road after 6.00pm.

The concerned road is the Ogbakiri/Kalahari road.

In an alert, he drew the attention of motorists to the weekly abductions on the road, and warned them never to leave the Choba/Kalabari Parks as soon as it is 6.00pm.

They were asked to obey the instruction until the State Government finds a solution to the menace of the hoodlums.

Titled ATTENTION, ATTENTION, ATTENTION, it reads:

“You are all advised against coming home as soon as it’s 6.00pm.

“The Ogbakiri/Kalabari road is now a kidnapping zone on weekly basis.

“The Local Government Park Chairman has directed all commercial vehicles not to leave the Choba/Kalabari Parks after 6.00pm.

“Private vehicle owners are also advised to obey the instruction, for now, until the Government takes positive security action to restore law and order in the area.”

In another very sad  development,  40 Worshippers were, last weekend, Kidnapped in Southern Kaduna.

According to the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union, the 40 Worshippers include members of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church Movement. The Union said they were abducted in Bayan Kasuwa Quarters of Kasuwan Magani, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

In a statement issued on Monday in Kaduna, the National President of the Union, Dr Awemi Maisamari, said the bandits have reached out the families of the victims, and are asking for N200m in ransom money. The Union said the abductions took place between September 12 and 13, a few kilometers from Kaduna Metropolis.

Said Dr Maisamari: “There is still no breathing space for Communities in the Southern Kaduna. Terrorists, jihadists, bandits and armed herdsmen have continued to plunder and wreck Communities in the Southern Part of the State.

“The latest are the mass abductions that took place on September 12 and 13, 2022, at Kasuwan Magani in Kajuru LGA of Southern Kaduna.

“Kasumi Magani is about 20 km 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 reoccurrence, the following day, September 13, the terrorists stormed the Cherubim and Seraphim Church during a night vigil program at the Bayan Kasuwa Quarters of Kasuwan Magani town at around midnight.

“They succeeded in carting away more than 60 people from the Church and neighboring 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 kilometers from Kasuwan Magani, and abducted two more persons.

“As at now, 45 people have so far been confirmed abducted.

“Yesterday, however, September 18, 2022, the abductors made contacts 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 N200m, but negotiation is still ongoing. We do not know the identity or the fate of the five missing persons yet.”

Kidnapping of innocent citizens has become a big business in Nigeria. The abductors often get away with it and make hundreds of millions of Naira monthly.

The Government, at all levels are helpless.

For the records, Kaduna hosts the highest number of Military facilities in Nigeria, including the elite Nigerian Defence Academy, NDA.