- Says Nigeria Now Ranked Among Riskiest Countries To Live As Over 7,000 Is Kidnapped In One Year
- Anxiety As Gunmen Abduct 87 In Kajuru Village, Again
- CDS Arrives Kaduna As Troops Rescue 16 Abductees In Kajuru, Kaduna
The rising and worsening insecurity in Nigeria has continued to elicit reactions from different quarters with Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra State and Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, the latest high-profiled Nigerian to express deep concern over the menace.
The Matrix reports that Nigeria has been plagued with rising insecurity in the last few weeks with Kaduna, Borno, Katsina, Plateau, Delta Ebonyi emerging as hotbed of escalating cases of the menace in recent weeks.
Citing staggering statistics, Obi in a statement released on Monday via his X platform, claimed that over 7,000 Nigerians have been abducted in the past year, with a surge of 700 in the last three weeks alone.
“These figures, coupled with the constant reports of violent crimes and killings across the nation, paint a grim picture,” Mr. Obi stated. “Such a climate of fear and lawlessness undoubtedly places Nigeria among the world’s riskiest countries to live in.”
Referencing a recent report by the Financial Times that labeled Nigeria’s kidnapping epidemic a symptom of a failed state, Mr. Obi emphasized the detrimental impact on the nation’s economic prospects. “How can we attract foreign investors, or retain the confidence of local ones, when basic safety and security are not guaranteed?” he questioned.
Mr. Obi’s statement is likely to fuel ongoing national discourse surrounding the government’s handling of security challenges. His call for immediate action underscores the urgency for a solution that restores peace and stability across the country.
In a development that lends credence to Obi’s position, eighty-seven people were reportedly abducted by bandits who attacked the Kajuru Station community in the Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The bandits were said to have also looted some shops and houses in the community.
The attack occurred on Sunday night, just a day after 14 people were kidnapped by bandits at Dogon Noma community also within Kajuru Local Government Area.
In recent times, Kajuru and Chikun local government areas in Kaduna Central Senatorial District have come under heavy attacks, including the abduction of 287 students at Kuriga community in Chikun.
READ ALSO: Peter Obi Likens War-Torn Ukraine Donating Food To Nigeria As A National Disgrace
Following an upsurge in the kidnap cases, the Chief Of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, arrived at the state government house on Monday, to meet with Governor Uba Sani.
While speaking during the meeting which also had representatives of the Kuriga community in attendance, General Musa assured that the abducted students, and those who were recently kidnapped by bandits at Kajuru, would soon be rescued.
According to him, the military and other security agencies are working tirelessly to free the hostages
He vowed that all those behind the kidnappings and attacks in Kaduna and other states in the North West zone would soon be apprehended.
“We are here to show solidarity to this community so that you would know that whatever you are going through, we are also going through it. We assure you that God Almighty is on our side, and whatever we are going through is just temporal. And the problem is as a result of people who don’t want development for this country so that development would take place. We are working tirelessly to make sure that all those kidnapped will be safeguarded and brought out as quickly as possible,” he said.
While speaking earlier, Governor Sani said the state was getting support from both the army and police.
“We will ensure that we beef up security in the Kuriga community. We are getting a lot of support from security agencies, from both police and army,” Governor Sani said during the meeting.
“The troops are still exploiting the bushes in continuation of the search and rescue operations to extricate other victims and balk at the nefarious activities of the insurgents.”
However, in a heartwarming development amidst the devastating experience, troops of the Nigerian Army, I Division, have rescued 16 abducted victims in Kajuru, Kaduna State.
They also averted a kidnap attempt by an extremist group.
READ ALSO: Peter Okon, Journalist Hit By Careless Driver in CRS Cries for Help
“The Nigerian Army troops deployed in 1 Division area of responsibility in Kaduna State have successfully averted a kidnap attempt by a violent extremist and insurgent group and rescued the abductees in Tantatu Community of Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State,” the Director of Army Public Relations Major General Onyema Nwachukwu said in a late Monday statement.
According to him, the troops were responding to intelligence on Sunday night when they tracked the insurgents who had abducted some persons in the village.
“On arriving at the scene of the incident, the troops tenaciously pursued the insurgents, engaging them in a ferocious exchange of fire and consequently rescuing 16 kidnapped victims,” the statement read.
“The troops are still exploiting the bushes in continuation of the search and rescue operations to extricate other victims and balk at the nefarious activities of the insurgents.”
Following the rescue, the Chief of Army Staff Lt General Taoreed Lagbaja lauded the troops for the successful outing and charged them to remain vigilant in the conduct of ongoing counter-insurgency operations to liberate all troubled areas in the country.
