While some locals said the victims managed to escape, other sources indicated that a ransom may have been paid.
The Kaduna State Police Command is reportedly withholding information on a weekend attack along the Kaduna-Birnin Gwari Road that left six people kidnapped, raising concerns among families and local residents.
Journalists and relatives of the victims say their inquiries have been met with evasion by police, who have provided no updates on the incident that occurred near the Buruku and Udawa sections of the road.
According to a source in Birnin Gwari town, the victims were returning from a wedding when “armed bandits ambushed their vehicle, opening fire and abducting six individuals at gunpoint”.
The source dismissed recent claims of a peace deal with the bandits terrorizing the area.
As of the time of filing this report, four of the kidnapped individuals identified as Shamsudeen Adamu, Abubakar Abubakar, Ibrahim Abbas, and Abdullahi Walli, have been freed.
While some locals said the victims managed to escape, other sources indicated that a ransom may have been paid.
Two victims remain in captivity, with their families still in the dark about their condition or possible negotiations, amid what sources describe as deliberate withholding of information by the authorities.
The source also noted that bandits have “resumed attacks in Birnin Gwari villages, targeting residents and destroying farm produce,” highlighting persistent insecurity in the area.
Efforts by SaharaReporters to reach the Kaduna State Police Command spokesperson, Mansur Hassan, were unsuccessful, as he neither answered calls nor responded to a message sent to him.