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Regional News of Wednesday, 24 March 2021

Source: www.pulse.ng

3 community leaders in Kaduna go missing after peace meeting

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State

The three Atyap Chiefdom leaders are believed to have been abducted by bandits.

A trio of community leaders in Atyap Chiefdom in Zangon Kataf local government area of Kaduna State have gone missing after a peace meeting over a local dispute.
The Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said the leaders had attended a dispute resolution meeting on Sunday, March 21, 2021.

The meeting addressed financial compensation for the destruction of crops in the community by cattle under the watch of a herder.

The Wakilin Fulanin Atyap Chiefdom, Ardo Pate Usman Kurmi, Ardo Muhammadu Anchau, and Yakubu Muhammadu have not been seen since they left the meeting.

Aruwan said they were travelling in the same vehicle with the Secretary to the District Head of Gora, Ayuba Bungon.

The car was later found vandalised and empty before search-and-rescue troops found the Secretary on Sunday night.

"Some arms and ammunition were also recovered in the general area in the course of search and rescue," the commissioner said.

Two other leaders, Yusuf Dauda and Gomna Audu, who went missing were reported to have escaped from their captors on Monday and found by troops conducting search operations.

Governor Nasir El-Rufai has appealed to the Atyap Chiefdom, as well as families and relations of the missing leaders to remain calm while security agencies continue with investigations and search-and-rescue operations.

Kaduna is one of the worst affected by banditry in the northern region.

The state government announced two weeks ago that bandits killed a total of 937 people and kidnapped 1,972 others last year.