One Traveller Killed, 10 Abducted In Northwest Nigeria

One traveller was shot dead, and 10 others kidnapped yesterday, March 28, on their way to Birnin Gwari from Kaduna in northwest Nigeria.

The attack took place at about 1:30 p.m., just after Gayam in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.   

The victims of the attack were in a convoy of five cars, Bello, a passenger whose vehicle  narrowly escaped the shooting, told HumAngle. The terrorists attacked at a location where there were rocks on both sides of the road that hid them from view. 

“There were so many of them,” Bello said. “Some were in front, some shooting from the rocks and others down by the sides of the road.”

Three cars managed to turn around and return to a checkpoint, where they alerted the military. But two fell in a ditch, and their passengers were whisked away. One driver managed to escape. 

The military arrived in an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) but found the area deserted, except for one corpse and two empty cars that were part of the convoy.

Red Zone

Gayam is one of the small communities that still stands. There is no record of a terror attack there.

In the past drivers waited for a security escort at Buruku before travelling on a dangerous section of the Kaduna to Birnin Gwari road. HumAngle reported how people referred to the area as “The Red Zone”. 

The escorts were arranged between the drivers and the military. 

But in recent months the military added more checkpoints to the road and stopped providing security escorts.

The number of attacks in that time had reduced but not disappeared entirely, regular travellers said. 

“One of the cars in our convoy had earlier developed a fault at Kuriga and was being towed by a golf car,” Bello said. During the attack, both cars fell into a ditch, and one of those who had attempted to run away on foot was shot dead.   

“It was a miracle that I didn’t die because one of the guys from up there aimed at me. It hit my headrest. A bullet hit one lady in the back.”

HumAngle gathered that in recent months there has been increased security on the route, and incidences of kidnapping had reduced, until the latest attack.  

HumAngle contacted ASP Mohammed Jalige, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Kaduna State Command by text and phone call, but received no response before this report was filed. 

This incident took place on a day that marked the anniversary of the Abuja-Kaduna train attack where several people were killed and over 60 kidnapped.