Tired and frustrated with the spate of killings and kidnappings in Kaduna State, youths from the southern part of the state, on Saturday morning, protest the worsening security under the watch of the governor and chief security officer of the state, Nasir el-Rufai.
According to the youths, who gathered at the Unity Fountain in Abuja, under the aegis of the Southern Kaduna People’s Union, the insecurity in the North-West state was becoming alarming. The youths, therefore, demanded that the security forces, as well as government at all levels, must rise up quickly from their deep slumber.
To drive home their points that the insecurity in Kaduna has become unbearable, the youths carried placards with different inscriptions emblazoned on them.
One of the youths Jane Thomas-Rogers, who spoke with The PUNCH, said the governor must rise up to his responsibility and secure the people.
Amid tears, an emotional Thomas-Rogers said, “Children are being raped, women are being raped, people are being killed. Governor Nasir el-Rufai, you need to stand up to your responsibilities and protect lives and properties. For how long is this going to continue? We are tired of these; the killings must end.
“Kidnapping here and there. Before now, kidnapping was an occurrence on Abuja road but right now, it has moved to Southern Kaduna.
“People cannot sleep with their eyes closed, we are scared of going to Kaduna. Just recently, my cousin was kidnapped, we had to pay ransom before he was released; we couldn’t sleep.
“What is happening? And our governor does not even have sympathy for our plight as a people. This carnage must stop, enough is this.
“We are calling the attention of the international community to this. Our government is sleeping, something must be done.
“We call on all Nigerians to speak up against this. It started in Southern Kaduna, it can reach your doorstep tomorrow.”
“Right now, there is a protest going on and you can see security men all over but when there is killing, kidnapping, you won’t see any of them. What is happening? We the youths are tired, enough of this,” she added.
Kaduna has been a hotbed of heinous crimes lately. The State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, recently said bandits killed no fewer than 222 and abducted 774 persons, as well as injured 226 persons among them women and minors in the state, between April and June 2021.
