Hawzah News Agency (Kaduna - Nigeria) - The Council of Imams and Ulama has revealed that more Muslims have been on the receiving end of banditry attacks in Kaduna State than Christians.

The council said this on Saturday while reacting to claims that more only Christians are being kidnapped in Kaduna.

The religious warned that the kidnaps and killings in Kaduna should not be handle with religious bias in order not to heat up the polity, Punch reports.

Yusuf Arigasiyu, Secretary of the Council, addressing a press conference in Kaduna insisted that the media had also reported more deaths of Muslim than Christians in Kaduna.

He said, “Along Birnin Gwari-Kaduna Road alone, between 22nd June and 30th July 2019, over 55 persons have been kidnapped and over 20 persons were killed, including five Nigerian Air Force and Army personnel, according to news reports.

“Majority of the citizens killed and kidnapped along Birnin Gwari, Giwa, Igabi and Abuja-Kaduna roads and the border towns with Niger, Katsina and Zamfara States have been Muslims.

“We never viewed the unfortunate situation from a religious angle. In fact, we have always condemned the act of criminality and have called on the state and federal governments to protect the lives and property of all Nigerians, irrespective of where they are or how they worship."