The Governor said the rising presence of Ansar and Boko Haram terrorists in the state and their growing interaction with armed bandits was liable for the attack on the Abuja-Kaduna bound train on the 28th of March in which the passengers kidnapped were still in captivity.

According to the Governor, the terrorists were moving from the Northeast to the Northwest and were now recruiting young people into their fold in vulnerable communities across the state.

El-Rufa’i spoke on Thursday during the state security council meeting where he received the quarterly security briefing by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan.

 Aruwan had said that at least 360 people were killed due to banditry and other violent crimes and 1,389 persons were kidnapped within the first quarter of the year from January to March 2022, adding that Kaduna Central Zone was the most affected. Èl-Rufai was worried about the use of mines and Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) by terrorists and called for the establishment of a military theater command in the region.

Vanguard had earlier reported that the Ansaru and Boko Haram, terrorists were re-emerging in Birnin-Gwari Emirate of Kaduna State, a development that may not augur well for the continued peace and security of the state.