Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, on Thursday, confirmed the presence of Boko Haram and Ansaru terrorist groups in Kaduna forests, calling on the military and other security agencies to explore fresh strategies to tackle terrorists in the state before things get out of hands.
The governor also said one of the released kidnap victims of Abuja-Kaduna train told government that Boko Haram terrorists told them in captivity that Kaduna forests are better than Sambisa forest and all their members would relocate to the State.
El-Rufai, who stated this during the presentation of a security report for the first quarter of 2022 at Government House in Kaduna, asked security agencies to look into Rijana, Katari, Akilbu settlements on the Kaduna-Abuja expresssway, insisting that the three locations have become havens for criminals.
The governor said: "This presentation has brought new emerging concern that I would want security council to take note of and maybe discuss and profer solution. Great concern is emergency of Boko Haram terrorist enclave as well as the activities of Ansaru particulary in Birnin Gwari and Chikun LGAs.
"Among those kidnapped from the Abuja-Kaduna train was a former roommate and classmate of mine, who was released upon payment of ransom. Throughout the period that he was in captivity, it was very clear that the terrorists were making comments like, 'the forests in Kaduna are even better than Sambisa and they should all relocate here' and this is the area we should be very concerned about," El-Rufai said.
The governor added: "This is where we should be making a point, the problem of insecurity in the North-East has moved to the North-West. The situation in the North-West is far more serious and could be potentially more dangerous and we would like the military and security agencies to take notice of this before it goes out of control."
The governor warned patent medicine store owners against selling drugs to youths, threatening to demolish any building of anyone found wanting.
On the security concers about flashpoints on the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway, El-Rufai said, "We have been exploring what to do with these three settlements, whether to relocate them near Kagarko or to clear the whole settlements. I would like the security council to deliberate on this. There is something wrong with the three settlements."
On his part, the State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, disclosed that 360 persons were killed by bandits/terrorists, communal clashes, violent and reprisal attacks between January and March this year.
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He said out of the number, 44 were women, while 11 were minors below the age of 18.
Aruwan explained that the Southern Kaduna senatorial district recorded 139 deaths in the period under review, while the Kaduna Central senatorial district recorded 214 deaths.
He noted that the Northern senatorial district recorded seven deaths in the first quarter.
Aruwan further revealed that one 1,389 people were kidnapped between January and March this year, with Kaduna central senatorial district accounting for 1,083.
The commissioner added, "Southern Kaduna senatorial district recorded two hundred and forty nine kidnapped persons, with Kachia LGA reporting the highest number of two hundred and seven. The Northern senatorial district recorded fifty seven kidnapped persons, with twenty nine of these from Zaria LGA. In total, 480 women and 79 minors were kidnapped in the first quarter across the state."
