In the early hours of Thursday, September 5, 2024, bandits struck again in Kaduna State, abducting at least 22 people, including a nursing mother and her four children. The attack happened in Mani village, part of the Rido ward in Chikun Local Government Area.

Zacharia Musa, a youth leader in the Rido community, shared that the bandits arrived while the villagers were still asleep. Armed and in large numbers, they began shooting before moving from house to house, kidnapping people. The victims, including the nursing mother and her children, were taken at gunpoint.

On the same day, another kidnapping took place in Dan Honu II, New Millennium City, also in Chikun Local Government Area. In this raid, a nurse and her three sons were abducted.

According to local sources, the attack started around 10 p.m. on Wednesday, September 4, when the bandits fired gunshots to frighten the residents. They then proceeded to take the woman and her children. Although the nurse was abandoned in the bush due to her poor health condition, her three sons remain in captivity.

These attacks come just two months after the abduction of two journalists from the same area. The journalists were released after one week in captivity, but the recent spate of kidnappings has heightened fears among local residents.

Despite the increasing number of attacks in the region, security agencies have yet to respond to the latest incidents. The community continues to live in fear as they await action from the authorities to curb the rising insecurity in Chikun Local Government Area.

These abductions are part of a worrying trend of banditry and kidnappings in Kaduna and other parts of northern Nigeria. Many local residents feel abandoned by the government and security agencies as attacks continue to disrupt their lives.

Efforts to tackle the problem have so far been ineffective, leaving communities vulnerable to these violent acts. The call for stronger security measures and proactive steps to protect the people of Kaduna grows louder each day.