Bandits abduct over 40 in Southern Kaduna Church, demand N200m ransom

Tamarauemi Ebimini

The Southern Kaduna Peoples Union ( SOKAPU) has said that there is still no breathing space for communities in Southern Kaduna, as terrorists, jihadists, bandits and armed herdsmen have continued to plunder and wreck communities in the Southern part of the state.

Awemi Dio Maisamari, the SOKAPU President said in a statement on Monday that the latest was the mass abductions that took place on the 12th and 13th of September, 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.

He said on the first day (12th September), 6 people were abducted in a night raid by the daredevil terrorists at Ungwan Fada part of the town.

With no measures put in place to forestall a recurrence, the following day (13th September), 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 could not able to take all of them away because some were very little children, too aged, or had health challenges.

According to the Union,” while retreating with their captors to their camps, they attacked Janwuriya village, a few kilometers from Kasuwan Magani, and abducted two more persons. As of now, forty three (45) persons have so far been confirmed.

“They demanded a ransom of N200 million, but negotiation is still ongoing.