Bandits in large numbers invaded the Primary Healthcare Centre at Kuyallo, the eastern part of Birnin-Gwari local government area of Kaduna State, kidnapping two nurses and an unspecified number of patients.
According to Musa Alhassan, one of the leaders of a local vigilante group, the bandits initially targeted the nearby Government Day Secondary School, arriving around 9 am on Monday, September 9, 2024. Upon finding the school empty, they turned their attention to the healthcare centre, which is located in close proximity.
“The bandits came to the school around 9 am, asking about the students, but when they found out the school was empty, they went to the healthcare centre and started kidnapping people,” he said.
According to him, the bandits, who were seeking to abduct students, instead took two female nurses and several patients hostage, leaving the community in a state of panic.
“The exact number of patients kidnapped is still unknown,” he added.
Meanwhile, an eyewitness said, “The bandits came into the healthcare centre wielding guns and machetes. They started dragging people out of the hospital, and we couldn’t do anything to stop them.”
LEADERSHIP reports that the incident is the latest in a series of attacks by bandits in the state, highlighting the need for increased security measures to protect communities and healthcare facilities.
Efforts to get a reaction from Kaduna State Command’s police public relations officer (PPRO) ASP Mansir Hassan through his mobile phone were unsuccessful as of the time of this report.
Also, there was no official statement from the state government on the incident.