Another 87 people have been abducted in a series of mass kidnappings in northern Nigeria. The people were kidnapped from a village in Kajuru local government area of northwestern Kaduna state on Sunday evening, a lawmaker representing the district in the state told German news agency dpa.
In further attacks the week before, a total of 75 people were abducted from two villages in Kajuru, days after 287 girls and boys were kidnapped from a school in neighboring Chikun district, according to the lawmaker representing the district in Kaduna.
Are criminals behind the wave of kidnappings?
Despite the deployment of security forces, no hostages have been released or those behind the attack arrested. Armed criminal groups are suspected to be behind the spate of kidnappings in Kaduna.
In the north and center of Africa’s most populous country, with more than 220 million inhabitants, both criminal gangs and Islamist terrorist groups repeatedly kidnap people.
Almost exactly ten years ago, in April 2014, the kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls by the Islamist militia Boko Haram in Chibok in the northeastern state of Borno caused worldwide horror.
Ransoms, political demands, releases
Boko Haram and other jihadist groups, which are waging a violent campaign to impose strict Islamic rule in Nigeria, mainly want to use the kidnappings to make political demands. The gangs, on the other hand, are typically interested in extorting ransoms or securing the release of their captured members.
Boko Haram is also blamed for another mass kidnapping of more than 200 internally displaced persons, mainly women and children, in Borno state in early March. Shortly afterwards, gunmen attacked an Islamic school in Sokoto State, taking away fifteen children.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
