Bandits seen on Kaduna-Abuja road are ‘fleeing military onslaught’

From Ogundele Olanrewaju

The Kaduna government says bandits seen on Thursday around the Kaduna-Abuja road were trying to escape from troops during a military operation.

There were reports earlier on Thursday that suspected bandits barricaded the road and kidnapped travellers.

Shehu Sani, a former senator from Kaduna, had also tweeted that he got a distress call that bandits in large numbers had blocked the Kaduna-Abuja road and travellers were “speedily turning backwards”.

The reports come days after gunmen attacked a train which was on its way to Kaduna from Abuja.

Speaking on the development in a statement, Samuel Aruwan, Kaduna commissioner for internal security and home affairs, said security reports indicated that the gunshots heard were as a result of the military operation.

“A few hours ago, some panic was spread on social media over bandits barricading the Kaduna-Abuja road and kidnapping citizens plying the route,” the statement reads.

“The buzz in circulation is false and was presented by a group of social media enthusiasts who celebrate negative news.

“The preliminary operational feedback showed that fleeing bandits escaping a military onslaught attempted to pass through a narrow corridor around Kasarami general area of Kaduna-Abuja road.

“The troops, on receiving this intelligence, hurriedly moved to the location and engaged them in the adjoining forest.

“The Kaduna State Government will update members of the general public when more detailed feedback is received.”

The commissioner added that the state government does not deny the existence of security challenges, as it continues to work with relevant military and security agencies.