Kaduna: Bandits abduct Chief Imam, Fulani leader, others

 

Gunmen suspected to be bandits have reportedly abducted the Chief Imam of the Janjala Central Mosque, Malam Bello Abdullahi, and the Fulani leader of the area,  Shehu Bello, alongside a woman, during coordinated attacks on several communities in Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The assailants were said to have stormed several villages, including Iddo, Gidan-Makeri, Kohoto and Janjala, where they abducted residents, rustled cattle and forced many villagers to flee for safety.

The latest incident was disclosed on Saturday morning by a security source @DanKatsina50 in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

A community leader, quoted on condition of anonymity for security reasons, reportedly confirmed that the most recent attack occurred on Tuesday night at about 9pm.

“The bandits came in large numbers, heavily armed with AK-47 rifles,” the source said. “They first went straight to the house of the Chief Imam and took him away. From there, they moved to the house of the Fulani leader. That was when people started running for their lives.”

The source added that the attackers also abducted a woman during the raid, while several cattle were rustled.

Following the attack, residents of the affected communities, especially Kohoto, reportedly fled in large numbers to Kagarko town and nearby Sabon-Wuse.

“The panic was total. Once people heard that the Imam and the Fulani leader had been taken, everyone knew the situation had completely collapsed,” the community leader said.

“Many families slept in the bush that night before finding their way to Kagarko and Sabon-Wuse.”

The fresh abductions were said to have occurred only days after bandits issued a seven-day ultimatum to the communities, demanding a ₦6 million ransom for the release of a woman and her four children who had earlier been kidnapped.

Community leaders said the deadline expired without any rescue operation or visible security response, after which the attackers returned with fresh violence.

“We made several distress calls to the police, the military and other security agencies, but there was no meaningful response,” one resident reportedly said. “Now they have taken our religious and community leaders. We are completely exposed.”

Residents described the situation across Kagarko LGA as dire, with deserted villages, abandoned farmlands and economic activities at a standstill as fear spreads.

Kagarko Local Government Area, located along a strategic route linking southern Kaduna to Niger State, has experienced repeated bandit attacks in recent years, including mass abductions, killings and cattle rustling, despite official claims of improved security.

As of the time of filing this report, there had been no official statement from the Kaduna State Police Command or the state government on the latest abductions.

The incident has again raised concerns about the effectiveness of security operations in rural Kaduna, particularly in Kagarko, where residents say bandits operate with little resistance.

“With our leaders abducted, our villages emptied and our cries ignored, we don’t know who will protect us,” a displaced resident said. “If nothing is done urgently, more lives will be lost.”

Residents are now appealing to the federal and Kaduna State governments to urgently deploy security forces to the area, secure the release of the abducted victims and prevent further attacks.