Enraged residents on Saturday blocked the Abuja-Kaduna highway over persistent attacks and killings by bandits in their communities.
A 13-year-old girl was killed by bandits on Friday night, June 18, and this infuriated the villagers to storm the Abuja-Kaduna highway to protest.
The protesters, from Anguwar Magaji, comprised mostly of youths and women, some of whom were half naked, came out as early as 7.30am to block the road, making it impossible for travelers to continue their journey.
It was gathered also that the bandits stormed the house of their Village Head and abducted his family as well as other persons in the community.
A resident, Bala Johanna, told Tribune that because of the fear of attacks, residents in the area cannot go to their farms anymore.
He said: “The most annoying is they followed us to our houses and collect ransom from us.”
“They killed a 13-year-old girl, a security man in the village as well as abducted other residents including the family of the village head.”
“Some of the women are half-naked. The soldiers were just begging them to leave the road but the men cheered them on from the roadside.”
Prior to the murder of the 13-year-old girl, residents of Sabon Gaya, one of the communities in Chikun LGA, Kaduna, that suffered attacks near the NYSC camp along the highway, cried over the massive exodus from the area due to incessant attacks and abductions by the bandit.
A local has lamented over the absence of security, alleging that bandits had gone from house to house and abducted a Yoruba trader with her children after which they went away with a woman and her newlywed daughter.
“The bandits wanted to abduct the newlywed daughter but the women resisted, insisting she was her only child and will not bear the brunt of losing her. So the bandits went with both mother and her daughter,” the resident said.