In spite of the gains made by security forces against criminal elements in parts of the country, bandits wreaked havoc on Nigerians, killing 454 victims and kidnapping 1,239 others from their homes, on the roads, schools, churches and farms in the last five months, IgbereTV reports.
The latest notable incident was the attack and killing of former Zamfara State governorship aspirant, Sagir Hamid, a former director with the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and the kidnapping of an unspecified number of travellers by bandits on Kaduna-Abuja highway on Sunday.
On Wednesday, Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi suspended  construction work on the Effium axis of the Abakaliki ring road for one week following the kidnap of five of the workers on the road by unknown gunmen last month in Effium Community of Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the State.
Investigations show that between the months of July and November, about 935 victims were abducted in Kaduna State alone while other states across the country recorded pockets of kidnappings, too.
Our investigations also showed that over 454 innocent lives were lost in the period under review while about 91 bandits and kidnappers were also killed.
However, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) yesterday revealed that 996 Boko Haram /Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists surrendered to troops while 258 terrorists operating in the North-East and North-West geopolitical zones were neutralised by Nigerian forces, in the last two weeks.
The Kaduna State commissioner for internal security and home affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said at least 830 persons were kidnapped and 343 killed by bandits in Kaduna between July and September, 2021, while our investigations showed that, in October, 105 persons were abducted, bringing the total number of abducted victims to 935 persons. Aruwan said 69 bandits were killed by troops of the Nigerian Army within the period in the state.
Also, bandits who kidnapped about 66 worshippers at the Emmanuel Baptist Church, Kakau Daji in Chikun local government area of Kaduna State on October 31, have killed two of the captors.
The worshippers were kidnapped when the bandits who came in large numbers invaded the church on October 31, 2021, during a religious service.
The chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Kaduna State, Rev. Joseph Hayab, confirmed the killing of two of the abducted 66 worshippers on Sunday. He also said three other victims were seriously injured by the bandits.
Some of the major kidnap incidents within the period include about 150 students who went missing after armed men in July raided their school in Kaduna State in July.
In September, news broke of the abduction of the Emir of Bungudu, Zamfara state, Alhaji Hassan Atto, and an unspecified number of commuters, along the Kaduna-Abuja highway.
The Kaduna State police command confirmed the incident through the Commandâs Public Relations Officer, Mohammed Jalige, who had reported that âon September 14, at about 3:10 pm, the Kaduna Police Command received a tragic report of an attack and kidnapping incident around Dutse village along the Kaduna-Abuja Road.
