Tension in Kaduna: Police kills 1, as residents set ablaze suspected kidnapper


Tension rose in Kawo suburb of Kaduna metropolis in Kaduna state on Monday when a resident of the area was shot to death by the police, after the residents arrested two kidnappers and set one ablaze. 


The residents allegedly arrested two kidnappers, set one ablaze and was about to mete out the same fate to the other when policemen arrived the scene and started shooting sporadically to sent the crowd away, in the process four people including a soap seller were injured and the soap seller later died. 


The trouble started in the area when residents of the community were tipped off that some  suspected kidnappers were about to abduct owner of a petrol filling station along the popular Kawo road before the overhead bridge. 
They immediately blocked all roads leading in and out of the area.


The residents chased down the fleeing  suspected kidnappers and apprehended two among them, where one of them was eventually set ablaze by the people. 
Police, upon receiving information that there is chaos in the area, immediately moved in to disperse the mob and in an attempt to rescue the other suspect, they shot sporadically into the crowd and mistakenly killed one person, leaving several others injured. 


The protesters who were  saying (Bazaamu Yarda Ba) meaning “we won’t take this from the police” were seen burning tyres, placing objects and logs of wood on the highway leading from Kaduna to Zaria and Birnin Gwari to prevent human and vehicular movement, while insisting that the other kidnapper in police custody should be released to them, and also demanding justice for the killed soap seller. 


A resident of the area, Malam Sadi Dauda told Blueprint, “I sighted a large crowd from afar and immediately rushed down. Kawo community people received information that some kidnapper numbering about three are operating in Sabon Kawo and immediately blocked the roads.  


“They chased down the kidnappers and killed one out of those apprehended,while the other one fled the scene. Immediately police got to the scene, they started shooting sporadically to scare away people and they shot an innocent person dead.  They shot four people in the process one is dead and the remaining  three are in Kawo General Hospital.  


“Now the residents are protesting that the kidnapper in the police custody should be released to them so that they can do instant justice.  They said they won’t leave unless he is released.” 
More security operatives have however, arrived the scene to douse tension in the area. 


The Kaduna State Police Command’s Public Relation Officer, DSP Yakubu Sabo, has yet to respond to inquiries sent to him on the incident. 

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