By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu
Two nursing mothers have been abducted by suspected bandits in Unguwar Uku community, Maraban Jos, Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, in a late-night attack that has thrown residents into panic.
The gunmen reportedly stormed the community around 11pm and forcibly took the two women from their residence, abandoning their infants in the house.
A family member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the victims are wives of his brother. He explained that the attackers encountered the women’s husband but failed to recognise him as the homeowner.
“They asked him where the owner of the house was. Because of his small stature, they thought he was a teenager. He told them the owner was not around, and that was how he escaped. Unfortunately, they went ahead to abduct the two women and left their children behind,” he said.
The source appealed to relevant authorities to intensify efforts to rescue the women, while also calling on the public to support the family with prayers.
The abduction comes amid renewed concerns over insecurity in parts of Kaduna State, barely two weeks after more than 160 villagers were reportedly abducted in Kurmin Wali community of Kajuru Local Government Area.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Kaduna State Command, DSP Mansir Hassan, did not respond to calls as of the time of filing this report.
However, the Kaduna State Police Command has announced the arrest of seven suspected bandits in separate operations across the state.
According to a statement by the command, operatives of the State Criminal Investigation Department, acting on intelligence on January 28, arrested five suspects allegedly in possession of prohibited firearms, including one AK-47 rifle with two loaded magazines, two Beretta pistols with a loaded magazine, and one fabricated pistol with seven rounds of live ammunition.
Similarly, on January 29, police operatives attached to Zaria City Division arrested two other suspects during a stop-and-search operation and recovered one fabricated firearm from them.
The Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Muhammad, said the arrests demonstrate the command’s resolve to combat banditry and urged residents to continue to provide timely and useful information to security agencies.