Bandits Killed My Husband, 4 Children In One Night — Kaduna Widow

A survivor of a deadly bandit attack in Adama Dutse community, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Mrs. Alheri Thomas, has narrated how armed men invaded her home and killed her husband and four children during a dawn raid on Sunday, February 18, 2024.

She said the attackers stormed the community around 6 a.m. while residents were still asleep, turning a quiet morning into chaos and panic.

According to her, the gunmen entered the village quietly and surrounded it in a coordinated operation before opening fire.

“They came silently and surrounded the village. People were still sleeping. Then they started shooting,” she said.

Mrs. Thomas explained that the attackers moved from house to house, shooting residents as others fled into nearby bushes for safety.

She said she was not at home at the time of the invasion, a situation that ultimately saved her life.

Inside her home, she said, were her husband and four children who were unable to escape before the attackers struck.

“My husband and my four children were inside the house when the gunmen struck,” she said, adding that all five family members were killed.

She further disclosed that her mother-in-law was also present during the attack and witnessed the killings, adding that the elderly woman later died from shock and trauma.

The widow also said the attackers set the family house ablaze after the killings, destroying property and deepening the tragedy.

She described the incident as devastating, noting that it left her with lifelong emotional trauma despite surviving the attack.

Mrs. Thomas added that insecurity in the area had persisted over the years but worsened in 2024, forcing residents to live in constant fear of repeated attacks.