Terrorists stormed the Cherubim and Seraphim Church, during a vigil programme at the Bayan Kasuwa quarters of Kasuwan Magani Town, Kaduna State, the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) confirmed on Monday.
The union noted that the terrorists kidnapped over 40 worshippers including residents of the area, according to a statement by its National President, Awemi Maisamari, made available to journalists in Kaduna, the state capital on Monday.
Maisamari in the statement said that the terrorists reached out to families of the victims and were demanded N200million ransom before the abductees could be set free.
SOKAPU explained that victims were abducted on September 12 and 13 of this month at Kasuwan Magani area of Kajuru LGA, which is some few kilometres away from the state capital.
Maisamari said, “There is still no breathing space for communities in 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. Kasuwan Magani is about 20km 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 recurrence, the following day, September 13, the terrorists stormed the Cherubim and Seraphim Church, during a night vigil programme at the Bayan Kasuwa quarters of Kasuwan Magani Town, at around midnight.
“They succeeded in carting away more than sixty 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, a few kilometres from Kasuwan Magani, and abducted two more persons. As of now, 45 people have so far been confirmed abducted.
“Yesterday, however, September 18, 2022, the abductors made contact with some people in the town via phone calls and claimed that only 40 persons were held by them.
“They demanded a ransom of N200million, but negotiation is still ongoing. We do not know the identity or the fate of the five missing persons yet.”