No bandits attack on Kaduna-Abuja highway, says state government

• As Police defuse explosive at Rigasa train station community 

From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna  

The Kaduna State Government, has debunked the report that has gone viral on the social media that terrorists on Thursday blocked the Kaduna-Abuja highway and kidnapped several travellers. 

The Senator who represented Kaduna Central in the 8th National, Comrade Shehu Sani had tweeted that, terrorists in large numbers had reportedly blocked the Kaduna-Abuja road.

Sani said, “Just got a distress call that bandits in large numbers have again blocked the Kaduna-Abuja road this afternoon. Travellers are speedily turning backward.”

Meanwhile, Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan while debunking the rumour in a statement, said “the buzz in circulation is false and was presented by a group of social media enthusiasts who celebrate negative news.

“A few hours ago some panic was spread on social media over bandits barricading the Kaduna-Abuja Road and kidnapping citizens plying the route. 

“The preliminary operational feedback showed that fleeing bandits escaping a military onslaught attempted to pass through a narrow corridor around the Kasarami general area of Kaduna-Abuja road. 

“The troops, on receiving this intelligence, hurriedly moved to the location and engaged them in the adjoining forest. 

“The Kaduna State Government will update members of the general public when more detailed feedback is received. 

“The Kaduna State Government does not deny the existence of security challenges, and continues to work assiduously with relevant military and security agencies,” he said.

Meanwhile, men of the Nigeria Police Explosive Ordinance Department (EOD) have on Thursday defused an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in Rigasa, the Kaduna community where the Abuja-Kaduna train station is located. 

The explosive device according to sources in Rigasa was found in a bucket along Makarfi road area of the community.

The Kaduna State Police Command Public Relations  Officer (PPRO), ASP Muhammad Jalige who confirmed the development to journalists in a telephone interview, said their men were immediately deployed to the scene after receiving a tip-off.

According to him, “yes, there was an IED planted around Makarfi Road, Rigasa this morning. We received a distress call and our officers from the EOD were deployed to the scene.

“On getting to the scene, they identified the device as Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and they successfully defused the device without causing harm to anyone,” he said.

Normalcy has, however, returned to the area as at the time of filing this report.