Kaduna State has been rocked by another wave of violent abductions as bandits struck two separate communities, taking 22 people hostage in a series of coordinated attacks. The latest assaults took place in the Mani community, Rido Ward of Chikun Local Government Area, and Danhonu II in Millennium City, sparking widespread fear and calls for urgent government intervention.
In a heart-wrenching attack on Thursday morning, bandits stormed Mani village, abducting 19 people from three homes located near the popular Indomie company in Rido Ward. Among the victims were a woman, her three children, a nursing mother with four kids, young individuals, and even an infant. According to a local resident, six of his relatives were taken to the forest by the gunmen.
The resident, devastated by the abduction, said, “We are in deep distress as I send this message. We have not yet heard from the abductors, and we fear the worst. The situation is unbearable.”
He pleaded with the government and security agencies to act swiftly in rescuing the victims, as the community reels from this horrifying attack.
In a separate incident just hours earlier, bandits launched another terrifying attack in the Danhonu II area of Millennium City, kidnapping a mother and her three sons from their home. The victims, identified as the family of Mr Mutiu Adeleke, were targeted by the gunmen who struck around 10 p.m. on Wednesday.
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According to a source, the gunmen stormed the neighbourhood, firing shots into the air before forcibly taking the victims. Mrs Adeleke, who struggled to keep pace with the bandits, was later abandoned in the bush and found her way home. However, her three sons remain in the hands of their captors.
The attack comes just two months after the abduction of two Kaduna-based journalists and their family members in the same community. Mr Adeleke had already begun relocating his family to a safer area, but the bandits struck before the move was completed.
Despite these repeated attacks, the Kaduna State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Munsir Hassan, has yet to issue a statement on the incidents, leaving residents in shock and fear. The people of Chikun Local Government Area are demanding urgent action from the authorities to address the growing threat of banditry, which has left countless families torn apart and communities living in constant terror.
These latest attacks are part of an alarming rise in kidnappings and violent crime in Kaduna, as bandits continue to operate with impunity. With entire families being abducted and no word from the authorities, the people are left to wonder when relief will come.
