Residents of Gonin-Gora in the troubled Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State took to the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway on Thursday, blocking the road in protest of the abduction of several individuals in the area.
The residents, angered by the continuous attacks by bandits in the region, flooded the highway, demanding swift action from the government.
Eyewitnesses reported that kidnappers had raided the community late Wednesday night into the early hours of Thursday, seizing an unspecified number of residents.
The brazen attack, which lasted from 11:00 pm Wednesday until 3:00 am Thursday, prompted the residents to stage a protest against the audacious activities of the criminals.
“The bandits operated freely for over four hours without any security presence. This compelled the residents to protest this morning,” one eyewitness and resident of the area recounted to PUNCH Metro.
“We were awakened by gunshots as the bandits infiltrated the community, shooting indiscriminately. Numerous residents were abducted by the heavily armed assailants,” the eyewitness continued.
“They arrived in large numbers around 11:00 pm and carried out their activities for several hours. The residents, mostly youths, took matters into their own hands and blocked the highway, causing motorists to be stranded until the military arrived and dispersed them. It was a chaotic day,” the eyewitness added.
Security forces were deployed to the scene to manage the traffic disruption caused by the protest.
Meanwhile, some residents have fled the community out of fear of further attacks by the bandits.
In response, the state government cautioned against the blockade of public roads and the harassment of innocent citizens.
The Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, issued a warning following the road blockade by protesters in Gonin Gora area.
“The members of the Kaduna State Security Council, along with security forces, dismantled the roadblocks and reopened the road for motorists,” Aruwan stated.
He emphasized the importance of ensuring the free movement of citizens and travelers along public roads and utilities, condemning any action that infringes on their rights.
The state police command confirmed the incident but declined to provide further details, as top security officials had already addressed the issue.
