Some bandits have invaded the primary healthcare centre at Kuyallo, Eastern part of the Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, kidnapping two nurses and an unspecified number of patients.

According to Musa Alhassan, one of the leaders of a local Vigilante group, the bandits initially targeted the nearby Government Day Secondary School, arriving around 9 am on Monday.

However, upon finding the school empty, they turned their attention to the health care centre, which is within the vicinity.

“The bandits came to the school around 9 am, asking about the students, but when they found out the school was empty, they went to the health care centre and started kidnapping people,” he said.

According to him, the bandits, who were seeking to abduct students, instead took two female nurses and several patients hostage, leaving the community in a state of panic.

“The exact number of patients kidnapped is still unknown,” added.

Another eyewitness said, “The bandits came into the healthcare centre wielding guns and machetes. They started dragging people out of the hospital, and we couldn’t do anything to stop them.”

Our correspondent reports that the incident is the latest in a series of attacks by bandits in the state, highlighting the need for increased security measures to protect communities and healthcare facilities.

In March, bandits abducted over 100 pupils and teachers of LEA School Kuriga in the Chikun Local Government Area in Kaduna within Zamfara State. The abductees were later rescued in Zamfara State.

In December 2023, a resident doctor with the National Eye Hospital, Kaduna, Dr Ganiyat Popoola, was abducted by bandits and she has spent over eight months in the kidnappers’ den.

As of the time of filing this report, neither the Kaduna State Police Command nor state government officials had confirmed the latest incident.

The spokesman for the Kano State Police Command, ASP Mansir Hassan, did not pick up the call placed to his mobile and had also yet to reply to a text message sent to him.

By Mario Deepromoter

The Rivers State Police Command said its men nabbed a woman for suspected trafficking while 16 children found in her possession were rescued in an estate in Ozuoba in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state.

This came as some residents of the area raised the alarm over the activities of the woman who they said usually returns home with different children, saying she brings some of them from churches and unknown locations.

A lady in the estate who preferred anonymity said they have been observing the woman for some time, following the number of children living with the woman.

She said, “This lady was doing child trafficking, picking people’s children from churches and different communities in Rivers State.

“So just yesterday (Saturday) some people held the woman and called the Ozuoba Police. The Police came, arrested her and took the children away.”

Another resident said the woman has been staying in the compound for the last two years, pointing out that the children numbering about 100, adding that the lady usually comes and goes with different children.

He disclosed that the policemen said they came from outside the state, saying neighbours and residents have been suspicious of the woman.

“The police said they came from Akwa Ibom State and that the woman was a child trafficking suspect. For two years the woman has been staying in the compound with the children, almost 200 children, some coming and going.

“At night I don’t sleep, they will be beating mortar till today that they (police) came to arrest her and take the children away”, he said,

Meanwhile, a viral video seen by our reporter shows some adults in the compound putting the children who seem confused together, saying people usually come to pick the children up.

From the children, both males and females were seen being integrated by some adults, with some standing while others were seated together in a manner of frustration.

One of the adult voices said, “This woman is in trouble, see all these children. These (identifying some of the children) came new. They have not come to carry them.

“Fine, fine children, their parents will be looking for them accompanied by muffled voices from the children.”

When contacted, the spokesman of the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the incident, saying 16 children were rescued from an estate in the area.

Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police said, “I can confirm the rescue of the children based on intelligence gathering. The Ozoaba team acting on a tip off went there and the children were rescued from the estate within Ozuoba. 16 children in total.”

“The case has been transferred to the Commissioner of Police Monitoring Unit for discreet investigation.”

Asked about the woman and her supposed accomplice, she said the police were still investigating to know the number of suspects involved, one person has been arrested at the moment.

“Yes, an arrest has been made from the information I got but like I said investigation is ongoing to find out if there are others pertained to,” the police image maker explained.

The Rivers state police command have arrested a woman for alleged human trafficking and rescued 16 children found in her possession at Ozuoba in Obio/Akpor local government area of the state.

Some residents of the area were said to have raised the alarm over the activities of the woman, who they said was found of returning home with different children, claiming she brought some of them from churches and unknown locations.

A lady in the estate, who spoke in confidence, said they observed the woman for some time, following the number of children living with her.

She said: “This lady was doing child trafficking, picking people’s children from churches and different communities in Rivers state.

“So just yesterday (Saturday) some people held the woman and called the Ozuoba Police. The Police came, arrested her and took the children away.”

Another resident said the woman had been staying in the compound in the last two years with different children.

He said: “The police said they came from Akwa Ibom State and that the woman is a child trafficking suspect. For two years the woman has been staying in the compound with the children, almost 200 children, some coming and going.

“At night I don’t sleep, they will be beating mortar till today that they (police) came to arrest her and take the children away”, he said.

When contacted, spokesperson of the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the incident, saying 16 children were rescued from an estate in the area.

Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police said: “I can confirm the rescue of the children based on intelligence gathering. The Ozoaba team acting on a tip off went there and the children were rescued from the estate within Ozuoba. 16 children in total.

“The case has been transferred to the Commissioner of Police Monitoring Unit for discreet investigation.”

She said the police were still investigating to know the number of suspects involved, adding that one person had been arrested.

“Yes, an arrest has been made from the information I got but like I said investigation is ongoing to find out if there are others involved,” she said.