Barely a week after the abduction of 177 church worshippers in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, suspected bandits have again struck in the area, abducting six residents of Unguwar Barkonu community in Maraban Kajuru.
The latest attack occurred in the early hours of Sunday in Kufana Ward, even as the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) was holding special prayers for the safe return of the previously abducted worshippers.
A resident of the community, Steven Kefas, said the attackers invaded the area at about 1 a.m., breaking into several houses before forcefully taking six people to an unknown destination.
“Bandits stormed our community around 1 a.m. They broke into houses and abducted six residents,” Kefas said.
He expressed frustration over the location of the attack, noting that it did not take place in a remote or inaccessible area.
“This incident happened right in the heart of Kajuru, in Kudana, where people expect some level of security presence. Yet there was no rapid response,” he lamented.
Confirming the incident, the Chairman of CAN in Kajuru Local Government Area, Reverend Enoch Kaura, said the attack began late Saturday night when armed men invaded the community and surrounded the area.
“They cordoned off the community and created fear among residents. However, when neighbours raised the alarm and people began to come out of their houses, the attackers fled, taking six residents with them,” Kaura said.
He described the renewed attack as disturbing, coming just days after the mass abduction of church worshippers in the same local government area.
“It is painful that while families are still crying and praying for the return of the 177 abducted worshippers, bandits have struck again. Fear and anxiety now grip the entire Kajuru axis,” Kaura added.
Efforts to obtain an official reaction from the Kaduna State Police Command were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, could not be reached, as calls to his telephone line indicated it was unreachable. A text message sent to him had also not been responded to.
Meanwhile, a special prayer session for the safe return of the 177 abducted worshippers was held on Sunday at Tawaliu Baptist Church in Maraban Kajuru.
The prayer meeting attracted Christian leaders from across Kaduna State and parts of northern Nigeria. Families of the abducted worshippers, some visibly emotional, attended the service as they continued to wait anxiously for news of their loved ones.
Church leaders used the occasion to appeal to government and security agencies to intensify efforts to secure the release of all abducted persons and restore peace to the troubled area.
