Suspected bandits have reportedly kidnapped the Chief Imam of the Janjala Central Mosque, Malam Bello Abdullahi, the local Fulani leader, Alhaji Shehu Bello, and a woman during coordinated assaults on several communities in Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Reports indicate that the attackers stormed a number of villages in the area, including Iddo, Gidan-Makeri, Kohoto and Janjala, where they seized residents and made away with livestock. The attacks triggered widespread panic, forcing many villagers to abandon their homes and flee for safety.
Details of the latest abductions were made public on Saturday morning by a security source, @DanKatsina50, via a post on X (formerly Twitter). A community leader, who requested anonymity due to security concerns, confirmed that the most recent incident occurred around 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
According to the source, the assailants arrived in large numbers and were heavily armed with AK-47 rifles. They reportedly headed straight to the residence of the Chief Imam and abducted him before proceeding to the home of the Fulani leader. The source said it was at that point that residents began fleeing in fear.
The source further revealed that a woman was also taken during the raid, while several cattle were rustled. In the aftermath of the attack, residents of the affected communities—particularly Kohoto—reportedly fled en masse, relocating to Kagarko town and nearby Sabon-Wuse to escape further violence.
The community leader described the atmosphere as one of total panic, noting that the abduction of both the Imam and the Fulani leader signaled a complete breakdown of security. Many families, he said, spent the night hiding in the bush before eventually making their way to safer locations.
The latest kidnappings reportedly occurred only days after the bandits issued a seven-day ultimatum to the communities, demanding a ransom of ₦6 million for the release of a woman and her four children who had been abducted earlier. Community leaders said the deadline passed without any rescue effort or visible security response, after which the attackers returned with renewed aggression.
Residents claimed they repeatedly contacted the police, military and other security agencies but received no effective assistance. One resident lamented that with the abduction of religious and community leaders, the area has been left completely vulnerable.
Locals described conditions in Kagarko LGA as critical, with villages largely deserted, farming activities halted and economic life disrupted as fear continues to spread. Kagarko Local Government Area, which lies along a key route linking southern Kaduna to Niger State, has experienced recurring bandit attacks in recent years, including mass kidnappings, killings and cattle rustling, despite official assurances of improved security.
As of the time of reporting, neither the Kaduna State Police Command nor the state government had issued an official response regarding the incident. The abductions have once again reignited concerns over the effectiveness of security operations in rural Kaduna, particularly in Kagarko, where residents say armed groups operate with little opposition.
A displaced resident warned that without urgent intervention, more lives could be lost, stressing that the communities feel abandoned and unprotected. Residents are now appealing to both 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 on already traumatized communities.
