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By Akinwande Soji-Ojo
Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has said the state government may relocate or clear three communities along Kaduna-Abuja highway due to activities of informants in the areas.
El-Rufai spoke during the presentation of first quarter security report for 2022 by the Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, on Thursday.
The communities identified are Rijana, Kateri and Akilibu villages all located along the major highway linking the state and Federal Capital Territory.
According to the governor, most of the high profile kidnappings and abductions happen near these three “dangerous spots.”
He said there were concerns that informants residing in those communities were working for bandits, adding that the concerns regarding these communities will be discussed with security agencies and members of his cabinet.
“We will either relocate or clear these three settlements along that road. We will discuss this in our cabinet meeting by looking at all the options including clearing these three settlements. This is because there are informants playing vital role in most of the crimes committed along that road,” he said.
The governor also threatened to demolish any patent store selling illicit drugs in the state, saying bandits and terrorists use these illicit drugs before attacking innocent citizens.
He said the deteriorating security situation in the North West is far worse than what the country experienced in North East because members of ISWAP and Boko Haram elements have moved to part of the state.
He said his administration is looking at the possibility of recruiting additional 1000 vigilantes too add to the already recruited 1000 vigilantes that were trained at the police command last year.
Speaking, Commissioner Internal Security and Home Affairs, Aruwan, said 360 people were killed between January and March 2022, across the state.
Aruwan said out of those killed, 305 were male, 45 were female, while the remaining 11 were minors.
He said 1,389 residents were kidnapped- 350 male; 420 female and 79 minors, while 3251 cattle were rustled within the period under review.
The commissioner added that 41 bandits were killed by security agencies in different operations carried out, while over 60 bandits were also neutralised through air strikes.