At least 830 persons have been kidnapped and 343 killed by bandits in Kaduna between July and September 2021.

Also, 69 bandits have been killed by troops of the Nigerian army within the period.

The Kaduna state commissioner for internal security and home affairs, Samuel Aruwan, made these known on Wednesday while presenting the third quarter security report to the state governor, Nasir El-Rufai.

Aruwan had in the second quarter security report, covering April, May and June 2021, said 222 persons were killed and about 774 people kidnapped by the bandits.

Though the figures show a drop in the rate of killing and kidnapping, the disturbing trend is however the mass abduction of school children and the revelation by the government that the bandits now charge levies to allow farming communities in 12 local government areas of the state permission to cultivate their farms.

According to the security report, banditry has hampered farming activities, threatened education and healthcare delivery and led to the near-total collapse of the economy in frontline areas.