No fewer than 85 persons, comprising both travellers and residents, were said to have been abducted by terrorists at Katari along the Kaduna – Abuja highways near Katari, in the Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
According to Punch newspaper more than four residents were killed by the hoodlums.
The breakdown of those abducted by the bloodthirsty terrorists indicated that between Thursday and Sunday, January 7, 2024, a total of 85 persons were abducted.
The Kaduna State Police Command confirmed that there was a bandit attack on the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway at Dogon Fili near Katari.
However, the command was silent on the abduction of the travellers along the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Mansir Hassan, stated that security operatives battled the terrorists before they fled in different directions.
The police spokesman noted that in the process, some travellers were caught in the crossfire, and they sustained varying degrees of gunshot injury.
He gave the names of those hit by bullets to include: Jibrin Tasiu (27), Jummai Abubakar (20 ); Zafira Abubakar (11 ) and; AbdulKarim Nurudeen (two), Chinedu Jerry Moneke (37) and Ayo James ( 42).
He said those injured were rushed to the hospital for medical attention.
The statement was titled, “Security operatives engaged bandits in a fierce battle along the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway.”
He said, “There was a heavy gun duel along the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway between security operatives and bandits on the 6th January 2024 at 2330 hours or thereabouts.
“The incident occurred when the bandits in their large numbers attempted to cross the said expressway at Dogon fili area heading towards Jere axis and were engaged in a fierce shootout by the well-alerted security agents, who dislodged the hoodlums and ensured a lot of them only escaped but with gunshot wounds.
“Hence, the Police Command is calling on the public around that axis to be on the watch for any person or persons nursing suspected bullet injuries and report the same to the closest Police station or any security outfit.
“In the course of the battle, commuters plying the highway were caught in a crossfire, of six persons sustained varying degrees of bullet injury.”
The police described the incident as “an unfortunate isolated incident in a long time as the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway has since been fortified for the use of commuters thus.”.
It was learnt that 55 other persons were picked up by another set of hoodlums in the three communities of Badoko, Dudumishini and Kwakware villages, all in Katari.
