The apprehension of the purported bandit chieftain heralds a glimmer of hope for both inhabitants and authorities in Kaduna, a Nigerian state grappling with the scourge of banditry. Law enforcement officers have detained a suspected ringleader of bandits allegedly involved in an assault on a Catholic church and the tragic demise of a seminarian named Stephen Naaman in the Zangon Kataf locality of Kaduna State.
The Kaduna State Police Command divulged that it had apprehended the alleged mastermind behind the torching of Saint Raphael’s Catholic Church in Fadan Kamanta in September, a heinous act that culminated in the seminarian’s untimely demise. Mansir Hassan, the spokesperson for the Kaduna Police Command, disclosed that the suspect, identified as Yakubu Saidu, was apprehended on Thursday by police operatives in Zangon Urban.
In an official statement, the police asserted that the apprehended individual had admitted to his complicity in the aforementioned attack and the tragic killing of the seminarian. Additionally, it was revealed that one of his accomplices hailing from Fadan Kamanta had facilitated the assault and is presently evading arrest. This development transpires approximately seven months subsequent to the bandit assault on the church rectory, resulting in the demise of Stephen. Following the failed abduction bid targeting two priests affiliated with the parish, the assailants proceeded to raze the parish house.
Kaduna stands out as one of the states severely afflicted by the menace of banditry in Nigeria, witnessing a spate of attacks on religious establishments and public venues in recent times. In 2022, assailants targeted the Kaduna-Abuja rail line, claiming lives and inflicting injuries in the process.
