By Desire Emmanuel
Bandits have abducted a Chief Imam, a Fulani leader as well as a woman at a community in Kaduna State after the community members failed to pay a N6 million levy imposed by the marauders.
The bandits were said to have struck around 9:30 a.m. and abducted the Chief Imam of the Central Mosque, Malam Bello Abdullahi, alongside the Fulani leader, Alhaji Shehu Bello, and a woman in Janjala, Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
A source close to the community told Impact Nigeria News Online on Saturday morning that the gunmen arrived on motorcycles, armed with AK-47 rifles. They first stormed the Chief Imam’s residence before moving to the homes of the Fulani leader and the woman, triggering widespread panic and displacement, while some residents were said to have fled to Kagarko town and Sabon-Wuse during the invasion.
It was also gathered that the incident followed a seven-day ultimatum issued by the bandits for the payment of ₦6 million levy imposed by them for the residents to live in peace.
The attackers were also said to have earlier invaded several communities, including Iddo, Gidan-Makeri and Kohoto, abducting residents and rustling cattle before unleashing terror on the Janjala community. All the communities invaded were reportedly deserted as of the time of this report.
Community leaders were quoted as saying that they made distress calls to security agencies during the attack and there was no meaningful response to the calls, giving the marauders enough time to cause mayhem.
The Northern part of the country, especially the North-West, has been under the grips of bandits and terrorists who unleash violence on residents of various communities, killing people, injuring others and abducting those they can lay their hands on.
Both the state government and security agencies have not issued any statements since the attack took place on Wednesday.
