A fresh wave of attacks in Dass Local Government Area of Bauchi State has left one person dead and four others abducted in the last two weeks, raising fresh concerns over insecurity in the area.
A former member of the Bauchi State House of Assembly and House of Representatives aspirant, Maryam Bagel, raised the alarm in a Facebook post on Wednesday, calling for urgent intervention by security agencies.
According to Bagel, the attacks occurred in Kagadama and Bagel villages, saying four residents were abducted in Kagadama, while one person was shot dead in Bagel village in front of his family.
“Four people were kidnapped in Kagadama village, and one person was killed in the presence of his own family in my own village of Bagel,” she wrote.
Bagel said the first person abducted was a pharmacy owner in Kagadama.
She alleged that the kidnappers demanded N50 million ransom for his release.
“The first person kidnapped was a pharmacy owner operating in Kagadama. They demanded N50m to release him. Where are they expecting a village pharmacy owner to have N50m? I wonder,” she stated.
Less than a week later, she added, the gunmen returned and killed another resident, identified as Shahibi, in Bagel village. Shahibi, according to her, had been kidnapped about a year earlier.
“Less than a week after, they went to kidnap Shahibi, who was earlier kidnapped barely a year ago in my village, and they killed him with several bullets in the chest and stomach in the presence of his wife, who happens to be my cousin, and their children,” she said.
Bagel further claimed that on Tuesday the attackers went back to Kagadama in an attempt to abduct another shop owner. The target escaped after gunshots were fired. She said the assailants then abducted three other persons: a 10-year-old boy who was attending to the shop, a young man who had just returned from hospital, and another resident.
The former lawmaker appealed to security agencies and government authorities to intensify efforts to prevent further attacks in Dass LGA.
She urged the government to ensure the area does not fall to criminal elements and expressed hope that Bauchi State would not see a return of the widespread kidnappings recorded in previous years.
When contacted, the Bauchi State Police Command confirmed the incidents.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Nafiu Habib, said efforts were ongoing to rescue the victims and arrest the perpetrators.
“Our men are aware of the situation and are on top of the matter. Protecting lives and property is our mandate, and we will not allow the wave of insecurity to take away the peace we enjoy in Bauchi State,” Habib said.
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