Residents of Kajuru Local Government Area in Kaduna State have alleged that they were instructed not to speak publicly about the recent kidnapping in their community.
The allegation was made by journalist Reuben Buhari on Wednesday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Morning Brief. Buhari said attempts to obtain firsthand accounts from affected residents were unsuccessful, as community members claimed they had been told to remain silent.
According to DAILY POST, no fewer than 177 people were kidnapped on Sunday during coordinated attacks on ECWA Church and Cherubim and Seraphim Churches 1 and 2 in Kurmin Wali community, Kajuru Local Government Area. The latest abduction occurred barely a week after the same community reportedly paid N2.6 million as ransom to secure the release of 20 residents who were earlier abducted.
Buhari stated that residents told him the directive came from the Kajuru Local Government Chairman, Dauda Madaki, who allegedly asked them not to speak to anyone or disclose details of the incident, while assuring them that efforts were ongoing to secure the victims’ release.
He explained that this instruction was the main reason community members were unwilling to discuss the kidnapping or provide information about developments in the area.
“We spoke to people in the community, but it was really difficult for them,” Buhari said. “They said the Kajuru Local Government chairman, Dauda Madaki, asked them not to talk to anyone and to keep the matter to themselves, assuring them that efforts were being made to bring back those abducted. That was why they were acting on his directive not to divulge what was happening in the community.”
