SaharaReporters learnt that the travellers were attacked on Sunday and the deceased included three infants, who were reportedly heading for Doka town in the Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area.
The New Year began with bloodshed in the Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State when gunmen attacked travellers at Zankoro, along the Birnin-Gwari-Kaduna Highway, killing nine people and abducting 11 others.
SaharaReporters learnt that the travellers were attacked on Sunday and the deceased included three infants, who were reportedly heading for Doka town in the Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area.
It was gathered that the bandits had a field day during the New Year festivity in the area, as more than 40 persons were kidnapped between December 20, 2020 and Monday, January 4, 2021.
The Birnin Gwari Emirate Progressive Union in a release called on the Kaduna State Government to come to the aid of the residents who perpetually live in fear.
The BEPU Chairman, Salisu Haruna, said, “Similarly, the bandits came out today, Monday, around 9am, shooting sporadically and abducting an unspecified number of people at Buruku along Kaduna-Birnin-Gwari Highway.
“In the last two weeks, bandits have been terrorising the people of Birnin Gwari, especially those travelling along Birnin Gwari-Funtua and Birnin Gwari-Kaduna highways; the travellers have become intensely apprehensive as they continue to fall prey to bandits who kill and abduct innocent citizens unabated.
“The bandits have ruthlessly been killing the people of Birnin Gwari and the Kaduna State Government has evidently chosen to ignore our pathetic situation, at least by acknowledging cases of abduction and serial killing by the bandits as it does when it happens in other areas like Lere of recent. Hence, BEPU tersely calls on the Kaduna State Government to note that;
“There are cases of kidnapping and killing everyday along Birnin Gwari-Kaduna and Birnin Gwari-Funtua highways. BEPU therefore calls on the government to deploy a response squad immediately to mount offensive operations along Birnin Gwari Kaduna and Birnin Gwari Funtua highways.
“We also urge the government to sit up to its responsibility and protect the lives and property of defenceless people of Birnin Gwari whose blood is spilled daily by the bandits. We seriously urge the government to launch an offensive attack to neutralise bandits terrorising Birnin Gwari increasingly, whose skills and warfare strategies are getting more advanced every day.”