Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has raised the alarm over the presence of Ansaru terrorists and other criminal elements in his state.
Ansaru is an arm of Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West African Province, ISWAP, which had been terrorising the north east states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.
It would be recalled that the people of Birnin-Gwari, the area of Kaduna State constantly under attack by the Ansaru terrorists, had raised a similar alarm a few weeks ago and called on both the federal and state governments to come to their rescue.
The governor, who spoke while being presented the 2022 first quarter security report by Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said the rising presence of Ansaru and Boko Haram terrorists in the state and their growing interaction with armed bandits were responsible for the attack on the Abuja-Kadunan bound train on March 28, which led to the kidnap of the passengers still in captivity.
According to him, the terrorists are moving from the North-East to the North-West and are now recruiting young people into their fold in vulnerable communities across the state.
Èl-Rufai expressed concern over the use of mines and improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs, by the terrorists and called for the establishment of a military theatre command in the region.
Vanguard had earlier reported that the Ansaru and Boko Haram terrorists were re-emerging in Birnin-Gwari Emirate of Kaduna State, a development that may not augur well for the continued peace and security of the state.
Speaking while presenting the report to the governor, Aruwan said at least 360 people were killed due to banditry and other violent crimes, while 1,389 persons were kidnapped within the first quarter of the year, from January to March 2022.
He noted that that Kaduna central zone was the most affected by insecurity in the state, especially with daily attack on motorists and travelers on the Abuja-Kaduna expressway.
Aruwan said Ansaru and Boko Haram terrorist groups had infiltrated some parts of Birnin Gwari and Giwa Local Government Areas, adding that the terrorists had been luring locals with gifts, with a view to recruiting them into the criminal organisations
