Southern Kaduna has once again been thrown into mourning after bandits killed four residents in a series of attacks that spanned from Tuesday to Thursday.
Naijaonpoint learnt that the latest violence occurred on Thursday evening when gunmen ambushed a commercial vehicle conveying passengers from Awon village to Kachia town.
According to SaharaReporters, a resident, Sebastian Yakubu, said the attackers shot dead the driver, identified as Ibrahim Makama, and a passenger, Jonathan Jeremiah, a fresh National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) graduate.
“They kidnapped some of the passengers in other vehicles while others escaped by sheer luck,” Yakubu told reporters.
Yakubu added that the same armed group had earlier killed a farmer in Awon village on Tuesday, while another resident abducted from Ankwa was later killed despite a ransom being paid.
“As we speak, there’s one retired security officer still in captivity after being kidnapped in the area over two months ago. Yet, our people are not talking, and radio and newspaper journalists are paid to be quiet,” he lamented.
Thursday’s killings add to a growing list of tragedies in the region.
On September 24, bandits stormed Kauran Fawa village in Giwa LGA, killing one resident, Sabitu Hamza, and leaving another, Gambo Abdulkadir, badly injured.
Similarly, on September 7, gunmen invaded Wakeh village in Agunu District, killing eight people, injuring many others, and burning homes. The same week, residents of Ankwa, Bishini, and Katari communities decried repeated attacks that have left them traumatised and displaced.
Frustrated residents say insecurity has worsened alongside the absence of basic amenities.
A recent statement signed by Rev. Fr. Agbo Gabriel noted that parts of Kachia had been without electricity for more than two years, forcing residents to depend on solar power even as bandit attacks continue unchecked.
Naijaonpoint understands that on August 31, seven victims, mostly minors, killed in Southern Kaduna, were laid to rest in Unguwan Rimi village, Kauru LGA. Community sources said the burials were conducted amid “deep sorrow and despair” as families struggled to come to terms with their losses.
In response to the persistent violence, the Kaduna State Government and federal agencies recently launched what they called the Kaduna Model, a peace initiative aimed at addressing insecurity by negotiating directly with notorious bandit leaders such as Yellow Jambros and Dogo Gide.
However, the move has sparked controversy. Critics argue that negotiating with warlords accused of mass killings, kidnappings, and extortion only legitimises their crimes and emboldens them further.
Residents, meanwhile, have appealed to Governor Uba Sani to urgently intervene and adopt more decisive measures to secure lives and property.
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