Crime

Bandits Kidnap Fulani Leader, Nursing Mother, and 37 Others in Kaduna

Published by Tope Fakinlede on February 25th, 2025.

Bandits Kidnap Fulani Leader, Nursing Mother, and 37 Others in Kaduna

Bandits

A group of bandits has abducted the Wakilin Fulani of Janjala, Alhaji Atah Adamu Wakili, a nursing mother, and 37 other individuals from the Kagarko Local Government Area in Kaduna State. During the attack, the bandits also stole several cattle.

A local leader from the area, who spoke with our reporter via phone on Monday, confirmed the incident. According to the leader, the assailants, armed with advanced weapons and some disguised in military uniforms, raided the community on Sunday night at around 10:00 PM.

The bandits reportedly split into three groups, raiding various homes and abducting many residents, all while firing sporadically. Some of the assailants also targeted a nearby Fulani settlement and took cattle.

The community leader said, “Around 10:00 PM on Sunday, I received a call informing me that the Wakilin Fulani, along with his wives, his eldest son Abubakar, and 37 other villagers, had been taken by the bandits.”

He described how the attackers moved from house to house for almost two hours, operating without any security presence. “It wasn’t until around 11:23 PM that a villager informed me that security troops from Kagarko had arrived in Janjala, firing shots in the air. But by that time, the bandits had already fled with their captives, including the stolen cattle,” he added.

A relative of the abducted Fulani leader, Ahmadu Atah, also confirmed the kidnapping. Speaking from Kaduna, he expressed his distress: “My brother, I’m extremely worried. Bandits raided our family home in Janjala, taking our father, the Wakilin Fulani, his wives, children, and many others. I’m in Kaduna for a program, but I pray the security forces act quickly to rescue them.”

This attack follows a similar incident on February 11, when bandits struck three communities—Mai-Iddo, Gidan Makeri, and Kuchimi—kidnapping a pastor’s wife and 15 others, while also burning homes and crops. The abductors in that case demanded a ransom of N50 million and six motorcycles in exchange for the release of their victims.

The police confirmed the recent kidnapping, but declined to comment further. Attempts to reach the police spokesperson, ASP Hassan Mansur, for more details were unsuccessful, as he did not answer calls or respond to text messages at the time of writing.