No fewer than 20 passengers in five vehicles have reportedly been kidnapped on the Mariga-Kontagora road in Niger State in Nigeria.
The Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Barrister Abdulmalik Sarkin-Daji, who represents Mariga Constituency, disclosed this in an interview with journalists.
He explained that the incident occurred on Thursday when bandits blocked the Mariga-Kontagora road between Baban-Lamba and Beri.
The Speaker’s comments came in response to a recent denial by the military that bandits were present within its training grounds in the Kontagora Local Government Area, which also extends to Mariga LGA.
Sarkin-Daji stated that the families of previously kidnapped victims had repeatedly delivered ransom payments to bandits in a forested area, which forms part of the military training ground.
According to him, those victims, upon their release, informed their families that they had been held in a forest not far from the Kontagora Army Barracks.
He added that the passengers kidnapped on Thursday were also reportedly taken to the same forest, calling on the military to act on the information provided and clear the bandits from the area.
“As representatives of our people, we receive feedback from our constituents about their suffering. Before we raise any issue on the floor of the House, we conduct thorough investigations.
“It is not that we doubt the military’s capacity to combat bandits and terrorists, but it is wrong to simply dismiss the concerns of our people. We want the federal government and relevant authorities to understand their plight.
“The communities have reported that the military training ground has become a safe haven for bandits who regularly emerge from the forest to carry out attacks, abduct residents, and take them back to the same forest. Even those released after ransom payments have said they were held in the same area, close enough to see the Kontagora Army Barracks from where they were kept.
“What we expect from the military is to seek more information based on what the victims have shared and clear out the bandits. But you cannot simply refute what a House of Assembly member has reported.
“Let me tell you, while the military denied these claims on Wednesday, on Thursday, 31 October, bandits blocked the road between Baban-Lamba and Beri and kidnapped all the passengers in five vehicles. Over 20 passengers were abducted and taken to the same forest. From Kontagora to Beri is a vast area under the jurisdiction of Kontagora Army Barracks.
“So, dismissing the complaints of our people is unacceptable. The military must do what is necessary and remove these criminals. The military is there to protect the people. We will continue to speak out to ensure the federal government and all stakeholders are aware of our people’s plight,” the Speaker stated.
