Suspected bandits on Monday, September 9, attacked the Primary Healthcare Centre in Kuyallo, Birnin-Gwari local government area of Kaduna state, abducting two nurses and an unspecified number of patients.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Kaduna state Police command nor the state government officials had issued a statement. Efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mansir Hassan, were unsuccessful as calls and messages went unanswered.
The bandits, who reportedly arrived around 9:00 am on Monday, first targeted the nearby Government Day Secondary School but found it empty. According to Musa Alhassan, a leader of a local vigilante group, the gunmen then shifted their focus to the healthcare facility.
“They came looking for students, but when they discovered the school was vacant, they went straight to the health centre and began abducting people,” he said.
Eyewitnesses reported that the attackers were armed with guns and machetes and caused widespread panic as they took their victims, including two female nurses. The total number of patients abducted remains unclear.
It will also be recalled that bandits are yet to release Dr. Ganiyat Popoola, a medical doctor who has been in their captivity for several months.
This incident is the latest in a series of attacks on healthcare facilities and communities in Kaduna state, underscoring the growing insecurity in the region.