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  • Kaduna School Abduction: Governor Sani Orders Rescue Operations for 287 Missing Students

    On Thursday, March 7, armed bandits abducted over 280 students and staff members of the Local Government Education Authority School (LGEA) in Kuriga village, Kaduna.

    According to an Al Jazeera report the bandits invaded the village around 8 a.m., shooting in the air and causing chaos before they left with the victims.

    Photo Credit: The Punch NG

    An eyewitness in the area spoke with the press and said “They were surrounded from all angles and left with almost 200 pupils and students.”

    Kaduna-born Former lawmaker, Shehu Sanni, also confirmed the kidnapping, noting that a similar abduction case happened in the same location about a month ago. 

    What is happening now?

    The news of the abduction has stirred a flurry of heated reactions from Nigerians across the country, and many people calling calling on the federal government to swing into action and secure the release of the abductees. 

    Meanwhile, the Kaduna state police command spokeperson, Mansir Hassan, noted that security operatives have been deployed to rescue the victims.

     “It’s true, kidnapping occurred, presently we have deployed additional security personnel in the bush to rescue the victims.”  He added,  “All the security agencies in the State, Police, Military, Vigilante and other security agencies have put their heads together and presently in that bush working hard to rescue the victims.”

    Governor Sani visits Kuriga

    The state’s governor, Uba Sani, also visited the village shortly after the incident, promising that the abducted students will be rescued and reunited with their parents soon.

    Speaking to pressmen, Governor Sani said: “We will do whatever we need to do to ensure the safe return of these children. They are my children and it is our responsibility as a government to ensure security.”

    The governor said he has informed President Tinubu and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu about the abduction. 

    He also directed the community to constitute a seven-member committee to provide daily updates as the security agencies carry out their responsibilities.

    This is a developing story.

    Adeyinka Odutuyo

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  • The Fashion and Art Scene in Kaduna You Should Know About

    I fell in love with Editi Effiong’s Up North for many reasons, but what stood out the most was the visuals served on screen. It was mostly shot in Bauchi and would reshape some of the conservative views I held of northern Nigeria and its creative sector.

    Fast forward to 2018, I met Fareeda, a Kaduna-state indigene who’d just completed NYSC in Lagos and was passing the time as a fashion designer till she got a 9-5. If Editi’s Up North changed my perception of the north, Fareeda gave me a complete reschooling. I was one of those Nigerians who mentally limited Nigeria’s art and fashion to places like Lagos and Abuja. Through her, I heard about the popping art and fashion scene in Kaduna that only seemed to evade mainstream.

    It was the need to platform the young minds powering the northern region’s creative scene that inspired Ganiyah Sanni, a Kwara-born art curator and exhibition producer resident in Kaduna, to launch KAFART in 2019.

    So, what’s KAFART about?

    During a chat with Ganiyah, she told Zikoko how she created KAFART after noticing the creative atmosphere in the region, how young, talented artists creating amazing work got little to no recognition. 

    “There were a lot of young and emerging, professional and self-taught artists and fashion designers doing amazing work. One thing felt missing. There wasn’t a major platform that could bring these people together to showcase under one roof. I felt like there would be more impact if these people came together for greater publicity.”

    Essentially, KAFART is the centre stage for creative minds in northern Nigeria to show up, show off and get their deserved recognition. Previous editions have featured exhibitors from as far North as Senegal, Mali, Gambia and Côte D’Ivoire.

    The fourth edition, themed “Into the Art of Making”, seeks to “celebrate and highlight traditional African craftsmanship as it intersects contemporary art and fashion,” Sanni said.

    There’ll be fashion

    The Fashion and Art Scene in Kaduna You Should Know About

    It’s the best place to witness the hottest fashion up north? Many young designers debut on the KAFART runway every year.

    Two documentaries screenings

    Kofar Mata Dye Pit by Niyi Olagunju explores the history of the Kano dye pits said to be the oldest in Africa and the last of their kind. Bogolan Textile by Madame Mariko explores the making of Mali’s handmade cotton textile.

    Nok Terracotta artefacts in augmented reality

    The Fashion and Art Scene in Kaduna You Should Know About

    Source: Think Africa

    This is your chance to learn more about the Nok terracotta sculptures popular for being some of the oldest artworks in the world and stolen by the British. 

    An exhibition from the Kaduna Museum

    If you’re interested in learning more about Nigerian history, particularly Kaduna’s, the Kaduna Museum will showcase works and artefacts with rich stories behind them.

    Panel discussions

    According to convener, Ganiyah, “There’ll be panel discussions that will focus on thought-provoking topics.”

     [ad]

    And workshops too

    The Fashion and Art Scene in Kaduna You Should Know About

    Considering the theme, KAFART will come through with a bunch of on-site classes. Pottery and tie-dye, beading techniques and blacksmithing are just some of the sought-after skills attendees will learn about.

    Adeyinka Odutuyo

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  • Everything We Know About the Train Attack in Kaduna

    Two days after terrorists attacked the Kaduna International Airport, Kaduna State is back in the news again over another attack.

    What happened?

    Terrorists attacked an Abuja-Kaduna train between Katari and Rijana in Kaduna on Monday, March 28th 2022. The attack started around 8 p.m.

    The terrorists bombed the rail tracks to force the train to stop before they invaded it to attack passengers. Some of the passengers raised alarm on social media to alert the authorities of the developing situation.

    A Facebook user, Anas Iro Danmusa, posted this:

    Danmusa later posted that Nigerian military troops eventually arrived at the scene and chased the terrorists just before 10 p.m.

    Another passenger, identified as Dr Megafu Nwando Chinelo, also posted on Twitter around 9 p.m. that she had been shot by the terrorists.

    Chinelo’s friends have announced that she didn’t survive the gunshot wound.

    The terrorists also kidnapped some passengers before the arrival of security forces.

    ALSO READ: Everything We Know About the Terrorist Attack on Kaduna Airport

    What’s the government doing?

    The Kaduna State government announced around 11 p.m. that passengers had been secured and were being evacuated from the scene. The Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, noted in his report that injured passengers were being rushed to the hospital.

    Aruwan said in another statement on March 29th 2022 that the evacuation of all passengers had been completed. The commissioner admitted that there were fatalities but he didn’t reveal details of how many people have been confirmed dead from the attack.

    The government is also taking financial responsibility for the medical treatment of those injured in the attack.

    The Kaduna State government is coordinating with the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to determine how many passengers are missing. 

    How Nigerians are helping victims

    Dozens of injured victims of the Kaduna train attack are receiving medical treatment at various hospitals. Some of them urgently need blood, and there’s an ongoing campaign urging people to donate blood for them.

    https://twitter.com/BubbaSadiq/status/1508773609711583235?s=20&t=RbzvUMabaDxVJyBGgoc5jg

    NRC suspends service

    The NRC has suspended operations along the Abuja-Kaduna route:

    https://twitter.com/Official_NRC/status/1508685796051718146?s=20&t=4Jn4tPEjMLymPFns8W97fA

    The exact number of people killed or kidnapped is still unknown.

    It’s the second Kaduna train attack in five months

    This is not the first terrorist attack on trains along the Abuja-Kaduna corridor. Terrorists similarly bombed rail tracks in October 2021 and shot at passengers while the train travelled between Dutse and Rijana. There were no casualties.

    The latest attack continues a trend of violence and bloodshed that has lasted for a few years in Kaduna State. Government records show that terrorists killed 1,192 people in dozens of attacks in 2021. They also kidnapped 3,348 people for ransom.

    Many of the attacks have been happening in rural areas and on highways, but the terrorists have started targeting infrastructure like the airport and railway. The latest trend of attacks is adding an extra layer of worry for Nigerians who have to travel around the country as the government struggles to contain escalating insecurity. 

    Who’s responsible for the train attack?

    Terrorists operating in Kaduna State, and the northwestern region, don’t have a distinct identity like, say, Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP) terrorising the northeastern region. The terrorists are different armed groups who are mostly still referred to as “bandits” because of the lack of ideological angle to their terror activities.

    The terrorists typically kidnap people for ransom by directly contacting the families of their victims. The Kaduna State government notably stays out of ransom transactions. The state’s governor, Nasir El-Rufai, believes paying terrorists enriches them, and has called on the Federal Government to bomb the forests where the terrorists hide with their hostages.

    ALSO READ: How Buhari Has Freed 1,629 “Repentant” Terrorists

    Samson Toromade

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  • Everything We Know About the Terrorist Attack on Kaduna Airport

    Kaduna State is currently one of the hotbeds of violence and bloodshed in Nigeria. Government records show that terrorists killed 1,192 people in dozens of attacks in 2021. They also kidnapped 3,348 people for ransom. The government finally declared bandits as terrorists in January 2022, but they’re still called “bandits” by a large section of the Nigerian media.

    Days ago, Kaduna State made news headlines again following a new attack.

    What happened?

    On March 26th 2022, a group of terrorists attacked a runway of the Kaduna International Airport. Eyewitnesses reported there were as many as 200 terrorists on motorbikes but this was not confirmed by authorities. 

    The attack prevented a scheduled Azman Air flight from taking off as a security precaution. 

    How did the attack end?

    The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said in a statement that a combined team of security operatives confronted the terrorists and restored order. The team recovered two motorbikes abandoned by the terrorists. 

    The terrorists killed one person. The deceased was a security watchman for the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).

    There’s a fake video of the attack online

    Since the attack, a video has been circulating online claiming to show the terrorists riding dozens of motorcycles on a runway. The video has been fact-checked and discovered to be false. That clip was shot in Sokoto and had nothing to do with any attack.

    https://twitter.com/Ariesqueeeenn/status/1508063341205508096?s=20&t=_Ld4qacQpKSYNGP0af7ZUw

    ALSO READ: You Only Need Three Things at Nigerian Police Checkpoints

    It’s not the first attack on the airport

    The Kaduna International Airport has become a usual target for terrorists as insecurity escalates in Kaduna State.

    On March 6th 2021, terrorists gained access to FAAN staff quarters on the airport premises and kidnapped 10 people. Nigerian military troops rescued the victims two weeks later. The government didn’t clarify if any terrorists responsible for the abduction were arrested or killed during the rescue operation.

    There was another attack on the staff quarters on March 14th 2021 that was thwarted by security operatives, and yet another one around the same airport on March 19th 2021 that was also foiled by security operatives.

    What’s the government saying about the latest attack?

    The governor of Kaduna, Nasir El-Rufai, has condemned the attack and praised the security forces for their prompt response. He also sent condolences to the family of the victim.

    There’s been no word from the President Buhari-led Federal Government.

    Terrorists attack Kaduna airport but there's no word from Buhari

    ALSO READ: How Buhari Has Freed 1,629 “Repentant” Boko Haram Members

    Samson Toromade

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  • #GreenfieldUniversity: Bandits Threaten To Kill The Rest Of The Students

    Citizen is a column that explains how the government’s policies fucks citizens and how we can unfuck ourselves.

    What Is #Greenfielduniversity about?

    On April 20, 2020, 22 students and one staff member of Greenfield University, Kaduna state, were kidnapped by unidentified bandits, in what has been a recent spike in cases of abduction and killings in the country. On April 23, three days after this incident, three of those students were killed, with two more murdered on April 26.

    And now, the bandits, according to reports from major news networks, are threatening to kill the remaining people ( now 17 )who are still in their custody if a ₦100 million ransom along with 10 Honda motorcycles are not provided by Tuesday, May 4, 2021.

    The threat was issued, through a 3-minutes recorded audio clip, by the bandit leader Sani Idris Jalingo (who is also known as Baleri), in an interview with Voice Of America (VOA) Hausa.

    What Is The State Government Doing?

    Going by existing reports, not much is known about what the Kaduna state government is doing or intends to do to ensure the safety of the Greenfield students. However, the state Governor, Nasir El-Rufai has said on April 9 that he has no intention of paying bandits or kidnappers as it is not the main objective of his administration.

    While the student’s parents have been able to raise 55 million, the bandit leader, Sani claims that it was used to feed the captives and that it was not enough. In the audio recording shared on VOA Hausa, he reiterated that the killing of the five students was to emphasize the seriousness of their threat and if the rest of their demands are not met, “ the parents will pack their (students) bodies in pickups.”

    How Are Nigerians Reacting To This?

    Nigerians online are calling for the Kaduna state government to intervene through the #Greenfielduniversity hashtag trending on Twitter.

    With many charging the government to consider negotiating with the kidnappers and ensuring the remaining Greenfield students are saved, Nigerians online are hoping that something is done before the kidnappers make do with their threats.

    We will update this story as soon as we receive new information.

    Nelson

    , , ,