Posted by Samuel on Sun 31st Aug, 2025 - tori.ng
The assailants reportedly mounted a blockade on the road, robbed travellers of cash, motorcycles, and other valuables, while firing sporadic gunshots to scare the victims.
On Sunday, a large group of bandits blocked a rural road in Kaduna State, k!lling one resident and robbing several others of their belongings.
According to SaharaReporters, trader, whose relative was among the victims, confirmed the incident to the newspapers’ New York office via WhatsApp.
According to him, the attack happened along the Iyatawa–Ringim Road in Giwa Local Government Area, which borders Birnin Gwari Local Government and Sabuwa Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The assailants reportedly mounted a blockade on the road, robbed travellers of cash, motorcycles, and other valuables, while firing sporadic gunshots to scare the victims.
"During the shooting, my relative, Haruna Sadau, was k!lled, and another person, Abbas Mohammed, was injured and rushed to the hospital," the source said.
Meanwhile, the Kaduna State government, in collaboration with federal agencies, launched what it called the “Kaduna Model”—a holistic peace initiative aimed at addressing both the symptoms and root causes of insecurity.
The pact involved direct engagement with notorious bandit leaders operating in areas like Birnin Gwari and Giwa.
These were not petty criminals; they were warlords like Yellow Jambros and Dogo Gide, men accused of mass k!llings, kidnappings, and extortion across Kaduna and neighboring states.
Yet, under the new peace deal, many of them laid down their arms. Around 200 fighters reportedly surrendered, some even enrolling in government-run rehabilitation programs.
The initiative included promises of disarmament, reintegration, and rural development. Roads once feared, like the Kaduna-Birnin Gwari highway, reopened, and villagers began returning to their homes.
The government touted these as signs of progress, a fragile hope in a region long defined by despair.
Still, the pact was not without controversy. Critics, including Christian leaders and other stakeholders, voiced concern over the lack of transparency and the exclusion of victims from the peace process.
The Northwest Governors Forum had previously agreed to reject negotiations with criminals, making Kaduna’s unilateral move a bold departure.
Governor Uba Sani defended the approach as a “carrot-and-stick” strategy, insisting that peace must be pursued from a position of strength.