A Nigerian criminal gang leader behind the kidnapping of hundreds of schoolchildren in northwestern Katsina state in December has surrendered to authorities in an amnesty deal, officials said on Tuesday.
Auwalun Daudawa led dozens of gunmen who snatched students from their school hostels in the town of Kankara in a crime that sparked global outrage and highlighted growing instability in the country’s northwest.
Northwestern Nigeria has been terrorised by criminal gangs who raid villages, steal cattle, kidnap for ransom and burn homes after looting, adding to security challenges in a country battling a decade-long jihadist insurgency.
More attacks by armed gangs in five districts across the northwest Kaduna state killed another 23 people in 24 hours, officials said on Tuesday.
The Kankara abductions happened when President Muhammadu Buhari was visiting his home state of Katsina. Some students managed to escape and officials said around 340 were freed days later after negotiations.
Daudawa surrendered to local officials on Monday with six of his gang members, the local government spokesman said in a statement.
“Auwalun Daudawa handed over the weapons and also… swore with the Holy Quran not to revert to his old ways,” spokesman Zailani Bappa said. Most of the Kankara children were released after days in captivity following negotiations between the abductors and officials of Zamfara and Katsina states.
“Dozens of other armed bandits inside the forests have started contacting me, indicating their willingness to cease hostilities on condition that they would not be harassed afterwards,” Daudawa told local media.
In Kaduna state, 23 people were killed in raids by armed gangs in 24 hours in Birnin Gwari, Giwa, Chikun, Igabi and Kauru local government areas (LGAs), state internal security commissioner Samuel Aruwan said.
The deadliest attack was in Birnin Gwari, where 10 people were killed.
Those attacks followed violence over the weekend when 19 people were killed when armed men raided two villages in Kaduna.
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Source: IOL
