Dass Local Government Area of Bauchi State has come under renewed security threats following separate attacks by suspected kidnappers that reportedly claimed one life and left four others abducted within a two-week period.
The incidents were brought to public attention by a former member of the Bauchi State House of Assembly and House of Representatives aspirant, Maryam Bagel, who raised alarm over the deteriorating security situation in a Facebook post on Wednesday.
According to Bagel, the attacks occurred in Kagadama and Bagel villages, where armed men launched separate operations against residents.
She disclosed that four people were abducted in Kagadama village, while another resident was shot dead in Bagel village in the presence of his wife and children.
“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 identified the first victim as a pharmacy owner in Kagadama, alleging that the kidnappers demanded a ransom of N50 million for his release.
“The first person kidnapped was a pharmacy owner operating in Kagadama. They demanded N50 million to release him. Where are they expecting a village pharmacy owner to have N50 million? I wonder,” she said.
She further alleged that less than a week later, the gunmen returned and targeted another resident identified as Shahibi, who had reportedly been kidnapped about a year earlier.
According to her, the attackers shot him multiple times in the chest and stomach in the presence of his wife, who she described as her cousin, and their children.
“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 stated.
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Bagel also claimed that the assailants returned to Kagadama on Tuesday in another attempted kidnapping targeting a shop owner. She said the intended victim escaped after the gunmen opened fire.
Unable to seize their target, the attackers allegedly abducted three other people, including a 10-year-old boy who was at the shop, a young man who had just returned from the hospital, and another resident.
The former lawmaker called on security agencies and relevant authorities to urgently strengthen security across Dass Local Government Area to prevent further attacks.
She warned against allowing the area to become a haven for criminal elements, expressing concern that Bauchi State could witness a resurgence of widespread kidnapping incidents if decisive action is not taken.
Confirming the attacks, the Bauchi State Police Command said security operatives had launched efforts to rescue the abducted victims and apprehend the perpetrators.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Nafiu Habib, assured residents that the command was fully on top of the situation.
“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.
The latest incidents occurred barely a week after suspected bandits invaded Rafin Ciyawa village in Ningi Local Government Area of the state, killing two children, injuring six other residents and abducting three people.
The police had confirmed that attack and announced the deployment of operatives from the Violent Crime Reduction Unit, Anti-Kidnapping Unit, alongside local hunters and vigilantes, to rescue the victims and track down the suspects.