Bandits Kill 1, Abduct Babies, 9 Others In Southern Kaduna

Suspected bandits have killed one person and abducted 11 others, including two nursing mothers and their babies during an attack on Ungwan Atiku community in Kachia local government area of Kaduna State.

A resident of the community, Mr Gideon Ezekiel, told LEADERSHIP that the attackers invaded the village at 10pm on Sunday.

According to him, a male resident, identified as Joseph Simon, was shot dead during the attack, while the gunmen abducted 11 persons.

He, however, disclosed that one of the abductees escaped and returned to the community on Monday, leaving 10 persons still in captivity.

“The bandits came into the village around 10 pm on Sunday and started shooting. Because they have attacked us many times before, people began to run immediately they heard the gunshots,” Ezekiel said.

“They killed one person and abducted 11 others. By Monday, one of the kidnapped had managed to escape and return home. Those still in captivity include women and babies who are less than one year old.”

Ezekiel alleged that bandits had been terrorising communities in the area for over three years through repeated attacks, kidnappings and killings.

He said residents had repeatedly reported the attacks to the Kachia Local Government authorities, traditional rulers and security agencies, including requests for the establishment of a security checkpoint at Angwan Koro junction, which he claimed serves as a major route used by the attackers.

“For more than three years, we have been pleading for a checkpoint at the junction because that is the route the bandits use to access our communities. We have reported these incidents to the local government and traditional rulers, but there has been no response,” he said.

He further alleged that security agencies had often failed to respond promptly to distress calls during attacks.

The latest attack has renewed calls for increased security presence in communities across Southern Kaduna, where residents have continued to express concerns over persistent incidents of banditry and kidnapping.

Meanwhile, efforts to obtain the reaction of the Kaduna State Police Command proved abortive, as the command’s spokesperson, DSP Mansir Hassan, did not respond to several calls and text messages sent to his mobile phone as of the time of filing this report.