PHOTOS: Police Parade 56 suspects on Kaduna, Zamfara

PHOTOS: Police Parade 56 suspects on Kaduna, Zamfara

Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai has said Nigerian Police on Thursday paraded 56 “vicious Bandits and Criminal Militias responsible for several killings of innocent people, Kidnappings and Armed Robbery in Birnin Gwari Area of Kaduna State, to other Villages and Towns in Zamfara State”.

 

In a tweet @GovKaduna handle, which was retweeted by the presidency @NGRPresident Thursday evening, El-Rufai posted three photos taken at the Divisional Police Headquarters, Katari, Kaduna and said: Great News!!! The @PoliceNG has paraded Fifty Six vicious Bandits and Criminal Militias responsible for several killings of innocent people, Kidnappings and Armed Robbery in Birnin Gwari Area of Kaduna State, to other Villages and Towns in Zamfara State.

At least 51 residents of Gwaska, in the Birnin Gwari area of Kaduna state were Saturday killed by a gang of what are said to be former cattle rustlers.

The bandits killed children and adults and livestock and also burnt down homes in the remote northern Nigerian village.

“Amongst the rows of dead bodies in Gwaska, in the Birnin Gwari area of Kaduna state, were children under the age of 10. Some bodies were mutilated. Survivors say the attackers surrounded Gwaska on Saturday afternoon.

They set homes alight and fired shots, causing people to flee in panic – many straight towards the gunmen”, said BBC on Sunday.

Residents have demanded that President Muhammadu Buhari’s government urgently deploy more police and military to protect vulnerable villages on the state border with Zamfara.

Last month 14 miners were reportedly killed in an attack by gunmen in the Birnin Gwari area.

Residents in the village say Saturday’s attackers used to be cattle thieves but had turned to banditry in the region’s remote villages.

The victims include members of a self-defence force, formed after attacks by well-armed cattle thieves.