China News Service, Beijing, March 19th, Abuja News: According to foreign media reports, Nigerian officials stated on March 18th local time that two attacks occurred in the country's Kaduna state recently, and more than 100 civilians were kidnapped by armed elements. These include women and children.
Kaduna State is located north of Abuja, the capital of Nigeria.
The Associated Press reported that Usman Dallami Stingo, a member of the Kaduna State Assembly, said that militants launched at least two attacks on March 16 and 17, and at least 101 civilians were kidnapped.
He noted that there was no security presence in the communities attacked and was dissatisfied with the slow response of security forces.
The Associated Press pointed out that at the beginning of this month, nearly 300 students and staff were kidnapped in Kaduna State and are believed to be being held somewhere in the vast forests on the border of the state.
Nigeria's security forces have not yet released an update on the rescue operation.
Authorities say a number of kidnappings this month have been caused by bandit gangs operating in northwestern and central Nigeria.
Reuters said that kidnappings for ransom by criminal gangs occur almost every day in Nigeria, especially in the northern region, and the authorities seem unable to stop them.
Militants hold victims deep in the jungle for months while they wait for ransoms to be paid.
In 2014, the extremist organization "Boko Haram" abducted more than 200 female students in Borno State, Nigeria, attracting attention from the international community.
Reuters stated that after this, general criminal organizations in Nigeria also began to frequently kidnap civilians and extort ransom.
These crimes wreak havoc on local communities, with families often forced to sell property such as land, livestock and grain to secure the release of loved ones.
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