Sani said two of his friends from both opposition and ruling parties who were returning to Abuja from Kaduna narrowly escaped during the bandits’ attack.
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Sani said: “Just when we felt safer, last night (Sunday) kidnappers returned to the Kaduna-Abuja Road. They blocked the road and abducted scores of persons around 9pm near Katari village. Two of my honourable friends from both the ruling and opposition parties had to run through the bush like Usain Bolt. But despite this incident, there is a stronger security presence along the route than it used to be in the past.”
A resident of Katari, Suleiman Dan Baba, said the incident happened around 9:33pm when the bandits, wielding AK-47 rifles, emerged from the bush and blocked the two lanes, adding that they operated for close to 45 minutes.
He also narrated that the bandits opened fire and deflated the tyres of some vehicles, which he said forced drivers, including commercial vehicles to stop.
“The bandits forced travellers to alight from their vehicles at gunpoint, before moving them into the bush,” the source said.
Another resident of Jere, Samaila Shehu, said the incident happened at a distance of about one kilometre away from Jere, and over 30 travellers were abducted at the scene.
Daily Trust learnt that the bandits, who divided themselves into two groups, also invaded Bishini and Kokore communities located along Abuja-Kaduna highway and also whisked away an unspecified number of villagers.
Shuaibu Adamu Jere, a community leader, also confirmed the incidents, stating that his relative escaped the attack near Dogon Fili, close to Katari town on Sunday. He said that a driver was injured, and two vehicles, a Sharon and another small car, were found empty by the roadside after the incident.
“Yes, the incident happened around 9:30pm, and the operation lasted about 45 minutes around Dogon Fili near Katari on Sunday. The driver of one of the vehicles was shot and left at the scene. One of my relatives escaped the attack,” he said.
He could not however specify the number of people abducted as the attack took place at night, but said the injured driver was rushed to an undisclosed hospital for treatment.
Another resident of Katari, a lawyer, who prefers not to be named, also confirmed that the highway was blocked on Sunday night as he was preparing to return to Kaduna.
According to him, the soldiers stationed around 500 meters from Katari repelled the bandits.
“I was told the bandits blocked the road that night before the soldiers at Katari repelled them. But I don’t know if people were abducted,” he said.
When contacted yesterday, the Kaduna State Overseeing Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan said he could not confirm the development, but promised to revert to our reporter after a meeting he was attending. He did not revert at press time last night.
The state Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Mansir Hassan, when contacted, said he will investigate and find out what happened.
According to Suleiman Dan Baba, a Katari local, the bandits stopped both routes around 9:33 p.m. and continued to operate for over forty-five minutes after emerging from the woods brandishing AK-47 rifles.
Additionally, he described how the robbers opened fire, deflating some cars’ tyres and forcing drivers—including those driving commercial vehicles—to stop.
The source claimed that “the bandits forced the travellers to alight from their vehicles at gunpoint, before moving them into the bush.”
According to Samaila Shehu, a different Jere native, the incident took place approximately one kilometre from Jere, and more than thirty tourists were kidnapped there.
According to information obtained by Obasanjo News24, the bandits, who split up into two groups, also stormed the communities of Bishini and Kokore, which are situated along the Abuja-Kaduna route. They also abducted an unknown number of locals.
Community leader Shuaibu Adamu Jere corroborated the events and said that his relative had escaped the attack on Sunday in Dogon Fili, which is close to Katari town. He reported that two cars, a Sharon and another tiny car, were discovered abandoned on the side of the road following the collision, and that one of the drivers was hurt.
“Yeah, the event occurred on Sunday night at 9:30 p.m., and the operation took place in the Dogon Fili area near Katari for almost 45 minutes. After being shot, the driver of one of the cars fled the area. He replied, “One of my family managed to escape the attack.
Since the attack happened at night, he was unable to provide an exact number of individuals kidnapped; however, he did say that the injured driver was taken to an unidentified hospital for medical attention.
The highway was closed on Sunday night as a lawyer who lives in Katari but wishes to remain anonymous was getting ready to head back to Kaduna.
He said the bandits were driven back by the army who were positioned some 500 metres away from Katari.
“That night, the bandits reportedly blocked the road until the soldiers at Katari drove them out,” I was informed. However, I’m not sure if someone was kidnapped,” he remarked.
When called yesterday, Samuel Aruwan, the Kaduna State Overseeing Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, stated he was attending a meeting and could not confirm the incident, but he would get back to our reporter. As of last night’s press time, he had not responded.
When contacted, ASP Mansir Hassan, the public relations officer for the state Police Command, stated he will look into the incident and determine what transpired.
