Ansaru, Boko Haram now in Kaduna

Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai has expressed hs anxiety about presence of two terrorist organisations in some LGAs in the state.

He stated Ansaru and Boko Haram have set up camps in Birnin Gwari and Chukun LGAs

The APC governor stated this while presenting the Kaduna State Security Report for the first quarter of 2022.

He also expressed worry at the increasing use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in the state, which he said suggested that terrorists had moved into Kaduna State.

Citing the debriefing on the Abuja-Kaduna train attack of March 28, he said the terrorists were planning to relocate to Kaduna.

According to him, the assailants said“the forests in Kaduna are even better than that of Sambisa and so they should all relocate here.’’

The governor stressed that “insecurity has moved from the Northeast to the Northwest.

“The situation in the Northwest is far more serious and could be potentially more dangerous than we have ever had in the Northeast.

“We would like the military and security agencies to take notice of this before things go out of control.’’

El-Rufai thanked the police for ensuring that many IEDCs and mines found in Kaduna State were defused without loss of lives.

He also spoke about the high rate of drug abuse in Kaduna State and commended the NDLEA, traditional leaders and community leaders for efforts at curtailing the scourge.

“We have to take drastic action because related to every form of crime from banditry to terrorism is the use of hard drugs.

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“These bandits take drugs before they commit their crimes; virtually every crime is related to drug abuse. I think we must cut the supply chain to enable us to control the demand,’’ he emphasised.

El-Rufai also noted that security agencies had been overstretched and there was the need to increase recruitment into vigilance groups.

“The 1000 vigilantes that we recruited and trained at the Police College have been very useful in assisting the army, police and other security agents,’’ he said.

The governor also said that he craved the resumption of flights at the Kaduna Airport after the March 26 assailants’ attack at the facility.

“We are grateful to the Defence Headquarters for enabling the establishment of the Nigeria Defence Academy Demonstration Battalion in Kaduna State.

“I appeal to the Air Force to also have some kind of permanent deployment at the airport to secure it so that flights will resume,’’ El-Rufai said.