Bandits Raid Kaduna Communities, Kidnap 40 Worshippers – SOKAPU Claims

No fewer than forty Christian worshippers have been reportedly kidnapped in Bayan Kasuwa Quarters of Kasuwan Magani, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) alleged in a statement made available to newsmen on Monday that the victims include members of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church Movement.

The statement signed by SOKAPU National President, Dr Awemi Maisamari, explained that the assailants have reached out to families of the victims demanding N200m for their freedom.

Maisamari said the Souther Kaduna communities are under siege and lives at the mercies of bandit terrorists.

He disclosed that the victims were whisked away on September 12 and 13 when the assailants raided Kasuwan Magani.

Maisamari lamented that terrorists, jihadists, bandits and armed herdsmen have continued to wreck havoc in communities in the southern part of the state.

The statement read: “The latest are the mass abductions that took place on September 12 and 13, 2022, at Kasuwan Magani in Kajuru LGA of Southern Kaduna.

“Kasuwan Magani is about 20km south of Kaduna metropolis on the Kaduna-Kafanchan Express road and hosts the biggest weekly market in Kaduna State.

“On the first day September 12, six people were abducted in a night raid by the terrorists at Ungwan Fada part of the town.

“With no measures put in place to forestall recurrence, the following day, September 13, the terrorists stormed the Cherubim and Seraphim Church, during a night vigil programme at the Bayan Kasuwa quarters of Kasuwan Magani Town, at around midnight.

“They succeeded in carting away more than sixty people from the church and neighboring houses. However, they were not able to take all of them away because some were very little children, too aged or had health challenges.”

He added, “While retreating with their captors to their camps, they attacked Janwuriya village, few kilometres from Kasuwan Magani, and abducted two more persons.

“As at now, 45 people have so far been confirmed abducted.

“Yesterday, however, September 18, 2022, the abductors made contact with some people in the town via phone calls and claimed that only 40 persons were held by them.

“They demanded for a ransom of N200 million, but negotiation is still on going. We do not know the identity or the fate of the 5 missing persons yet.”