Many residents of Gonin Gora, Kakau Ward, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State blocked the Kaduna-Abuja highway following the killing of two local vigilantes and abduction of several residents by bandits in the area yesterday morning.
The protest led travelers stranded for hours.
It was gathered that the protesters pelted security agencies who teargassed them.
The bandits were said to have invaded 10 houses at Gonin Gora and kidnapped an unspecified number of residents late Wednesday night.
The assailants were also said to have burnt soldiers’ vehicles at Ligari village during a shootout as they (bandits) attempted to flee the community with the captives.
A community leader, Yusuf Sarki, gave the names of those killed as Shuaibu and Toma.
“Over 10 people were abducted and two of our vigilantes were killed: Shaibu and Toma. A soldier’s vehicle was set ablaze during the encounter; the bandits came in large numbers,” he said.
He said the invasion into the community was the third this year.
A member of the Joint Task Force, who pleaded anonymity, told Daily Trust that his team informed the security agencies when they got the information that the bandits were sighted on their motorcycles riding out of the bush.
He said local vigilantes needed weapons to engage bandits.
The state’s Overseeing Commissioner, Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, led security chiefs in the state to the scene of the protest.
He cautioned residents against taking laws into their hands, saying there was no justification for them to block the highway.
The commissioner said the security agencies were doing their best to tackle the insecurity in the state.
He the security agencies that responded to the distress call succeeded in rescuing some of the abducted residents Wednesday night.
