Bandits Kidnap Chief Imam, Fulani Leader, Others In Kagarko, Kaduna

Gunmen suspected to be bandits have reportedly abducted the Chief Imam of the Janjala Central Mosque, Malam Bello Abdullahi, and the Fulani leader of the area, Alhaji Shehu Bello, alongside a woman, during coordinated attacks on several communities in Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

According to reports, the armed attackers invaded multiple villages in the local government area, including Iddo, Gidan-Makeri, Kohoto and Janjala, where they abducted residents and rustled cattle, forcing many villagers to flee their homes in fear.

The latest abductions were disclosed on Saturday morning by a security source @DanKatsina50, in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

A community leader, quoted on condition of anonymity for security reasons, reportedly confirmed that the most recent attack occurred on Tuesday night at about 9pm.

“The bandits came in large numbers, heavily armed with AK-47 rifles,” the source said. “They first went straight to the house of the Chief Imam and took him away. From there, they moved to the house of the Fulani leader. That was when people started running for their lives.”

The source added that the attackers also abducted a woman during the raid, while several cattle were rustled.

Following the invasion, residents of affected communities, particularly Kohoto, abandoned their villages en masse, fleeing to Kagarko town and neighbouring Sabon-Wuse for safety.

“The panic was total. Once people heard that the Imam and the Fulani leader had been taken, everyone knew the situation had completely collapsed,” the community leader said.

“Many families slept in the bush that night before finding their way to Kagarko and Sabon-Wuse.”

The abductions reportedly came barely days after the bandits issued a seven-day ultimatum to the communities, demanding a ₦6 million ransom for the release of a woman and her four children who had been kidnapped earlier.

Community leaders said the deadline elapsed without any rescue operation or visible security intervention, after which the attackers returned with renewed violence.

“We made several distress calls to the police, the military and other security agencies, but there was no meaningful response,” one resident reportedly said. “Now they have taken our religious and community leaders. We are completely exposed.”

Residents described the situation in Kagarko LGA as dire, with villages deserted, farmlands abandoned and economic activities grounded as fear spreads across the area.

Kagarko Local Government Area, located along a strategic corridor linking southern Kaduna to Niger State, has witnessed repeated bandit attacks in recent years, including mass abductions, killings and cattle rustling, despite claims by authorities of improved security.

As of the time of filing this report, there has been no official statement from the Kaduna State Police Command or the state government on the latest abductions.

The incident has once again raised serious questions about the effectiveness of security operations in rural Kaduna, particularly in Kagarko, where residents say bandits operate with little resistance.

“With our leaders abducted, our villages emptied and our cries ignored, we don’t know who will protect us,” a displaced resident said. “If nothing is done urgently, more lives will be lost.”

Residents are now calling on the federal and Kaduna State governments to deploy security forces to the area immediately, secure the release of the abducted victims and prevent further attacks on already traumatised communities.