Bandits have killed at least four residents in attacks across Southern Kaduna, Kaduna State, between Tuesday and Thursday, highlighting the relentless insecurity and violence plaguing the region. The latest killings occurred alongside numerous kidnappings that remain largely underreported.
Deadly Ambush on Kachia Road
The most recent lethal attack occurred on Thursday evening when bandits ambushed a vehicle transporting passengers from Awon village to Kachia town headquarters.
According to Sebastian Yakubu, a local resident, the commercial vehicle ambush resulted in the immediate deaths of two people:
- Ibrahim Makama, the driver.
- Jonathan Jeremiah, a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program graduate.
“They kidnapped some of the passengers in other vehicles while others escaped by sheer luck,” Yakubu stated. He added that the attacks followed the killing of two other residents earlier in the week: “On Tuesday, they killed one of our community farmers in the same Awon village and one other local from the Ankwa area, whom they kidnapped and demanded ransom, yet they killed him afterward.”
Community Laments Neglect and Media Silence
The latest bloodshed comes amid growing frustration from communities who feel abandoned and underrepresented in the media. Residents, like Yakubu, have accused local media of being “paid to be quiet” about the crisis.
Earlier reports from the Kachia Local Government Area echoed these sentiments, where communities detailed persistent bandit attacks and kidnappings that receive little national attention.
In a statement signed by Rev. Fr. Agbo Gabriel on behalf of the residents, the community lamented a pervasive sense of abandonment, citing a devastating attack on Wakeh village on Sunday, September 7, 2025, which left eight people dead, several injured, and homes burned. Other communities, including Bishini and Katari, have also been repeatedly targeted.
Pattern of Violence Across Kaduna
The recent incidents are part of a continuous wave of violence across the state:
- Giwa LGA Attack: On September 24, bandits heavily armed and in large numbers struck Kauran Fawa village in the Giwa Local Government Area, killing resident Sabitu Hamza and severely injuring another.
- Mass Burial: Just weeks earlier, on August 31, seven victims, mostly minors, who were killed in an earlier attack in Unguwan Rimi village, Kauru Local Government Area, were laid to rest.
Controversial “Kaduna Model” Peace Pact
In response to the unending insecurity, the Kaduna State government, in collaboration with federal agencies, has launched a holistic peace initiative dubbed the “Kaduna Model.”
This initiative controversially involves direct engagement and peace pacts with notorious bandit leaders such as Yellow Jambros and Dogo Gide, men accused of mass killings and extortion across the region. Critics have strongly voiced concerns that negotiating with such warlords is the wrong approach to tackling terrorism and banditry.
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