Gunmen suspected to be bandits have reportedly abducted the Chief Imam of Janjala Central Mosque, Malam Bello Abdullahi, the Fulani leader of the community, Alhaji Shehu Bello, and a woman during fresh attacks on communities in Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The attacks were said to have taken place across several villages, including Iddo, Gidan-Makeri, Kohoto and Janjala, where residents were kidnapped and cattle rustled, forcing many villagers to flee in fear.
The incident was first disclosed on Saturday by a security source, @DanKatsina50, via a post on X (formerly Twitter). A community leader, who spoke anonymously for security reasons, confirmed that the most recent raid happened on Tuesday at about 9:00pm.
According to the source, the attackers arrived in large numbers, armed with AK-47 rifles, and stormed the area in a coordinated operation.
“They went straight to the Chief Imam’s house and abducted him. After that, they moved to the Fulani leader’s residence. That was when panic started, and people began running for their lives,” the community leader said.
The source added that a woman was also kidnapped during the raid, while several cattle were taken away by the gunmen.
Following the invasion, residents, especially those in Kohoto, reportedly abandoned their homes and fled to Kagarko town and nearby Sabon-Wuse for safety.
“The fear was overwhelming. Once we heard the Imam and the Fulani leader had been taken, everyone knew the situation was out of control,” the source said.
Many families were said to have spent the night hiding in nearby bushes before escaping to safer locations.
Residents also revealed that the attack came shortly after the 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 were kidnapped earlier.
Community members claimed the deadline expired without any visible rescue effort or increased security presence, after which the attackers returned with renewed violence.
A resident, quoted in the report, lamented that several distress calls to security agencies did not yield any meaningful response.
“We contacted the police, the military and other agencies, but nothing was done. Now they have taken our religious and community leaders. We are exposed,” the resident said.
The situation in Kagarko was described as worsening, with many villages deserted, farming activities halted, and businesses disrupted as fear continues to spread.
Kagarko Local Government Area, which lies along a major route linking southern Kaduna to Niger State, has experienced repeated bandit attacks in recent years, including abductions, killings and cattle rustling.
As of the time of filing this report, the Kaduna State Police Command and the state government had not issued any official statement regarding the latest incident.
Residents are now urging both the federal and Kaduna State governments to urgently deploy security personnel to the area, rescue the abducted victims, and prevent further attacks.
“With our leaders kidnapped and our villages empty, we don’t know who will protect us,” a displaced resident said. “If urgent action is not taken, more lives will be lost.”
