Kaduna State is currently one of the hotbeds of violence and bloodshed in Nigeria. Government records show that terrorists killed 1,192 people in dozens of attacks in 2021. They also kidnapped 3,348 people for ransom. The government finally declared bandits as terrorists in January 2022, but they’re still called “bandits” by a large section of the Nigerian media.
Days ago, Kaduna State made news headlines again following a new attack.
What happened?
On March 26th 2022, a group of terrorists attacked a runway of the Kaduna International Airport. Eyewitnesses reported there were as many as 200 terrorists on motorbikes but this was not confirmed by authorities.
The attack prevented a scheduled Azman Air flight from taking off as a security precaution.
How did the attack end?
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said in a statement that a combined team of security operatives confronted the terrorists and restored order. The team recovered two motorbikes abandoned by the terrorists.
The terrorists killed one person. The deceased was a security watchman for the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).
There’s a fake video of the attack online
Since the attack, a video has been circulating online claiming to show the terrorists riding dozens of motorcycles on a runway. The video has been fact-checked and discovered to be false. That clip was shot in Sokoto and had nothing to do with any attack.
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It’s not the first attack on the airport
The Kaduna International Airport has become a usual target for terrorists as insecurity escalates in Kaduna State.
On March 6th 2021, terrorists gained access to FAAN staff quarters on the airport premises and kidnapped 10 people. Nigerian military troops rescued the victims two weeks later. The government didn’t clarify if any terrorists responsible for the abduction were arrested or killed during the rescue operation.
There was another attack on the staff quarters on March 14th 2021 that was thwarted by security operatives, and yet another one around the same airport on March 19th 2021 that was also foiled by security operatives.
What’s the government saying about the latest attack?
The governor of Kaduna, Nasir El-Rufai, has condemned the attack and praised the security forces for their prompt response. He also sent condolences to the family of the victim.
There’s been no word from the President Buhari-led Federal Government.
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