Terrorists kill one, abduct 11, including nursing mothers babies, in fresh Kaduna attack

Armed terrorists have killed one person and abducted 11 others, including three nursing mothers and their suckling babies, during a fresh attack on Ungwan Atiku village in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State, deepening the humanitarian crisis in Southern Kaduna where scores of residents remain in captivity following earlier attacks.

The attack, which occurred on Sunday, June 28, claimed the life of Joseph Simon, while the gunmen whisked away Deborah David and her infant, Rejoice Jonathan and her infant, Deborah Aminu and her infant, Loise Geoffrey, Gerard Geoffrey, Mercy Timothy, Jummai Sunday and Wisdom Doctor.

The latest incident comes as families and community leaders continue to seek the rescue of 48 residents abducted in earlier attacks on Awon and Ariko communities, many of whom have now spent more than two months in terrorists’ camps.

The attack was disclosed by former media aide to the late Kaduna State Governor, Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, Reuben Buhari, in a post on his verified social media page. He lamented that while efforts were ongoing to secure the release of victims from previous attacks, fresh abductions had continued unabated.

According to Buhari, 11 residents abducted from Awon village have now spent 72 days in captivity, while 37 worshippers and other residents kidnapped from Ariko community have remained in terrorists’ camps for 88 days. He prayed for their safe return, saying, “May freedom come to them sooner, and may healing come upon our land.”

The abduction of three nursing mothers alongside their babies has heightened concerns over the welfare of women and children in captivity, particularly in view of disturbing testimonies from survivors who recently escaped from terrorists’ camps.

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One of the escapees, a 65-year-old woman who spent 54 days in captivity, recounted that she escaped after a guard fell asleep before trekking barefoot through the forest for three days to safety. She alleged that many captives were deliberately denied footwear to prevent escape.

According to her, about 80 people, including women, children and elderly persons, were being held in the camp, surviving on mangoes, boiled leaves and untreated stream water amid widespread hunger, disease and poor sanitation. She also claimed that children suffered from skin infections, while women and children battled severe lice infestation due to poor hygiene.

The survivor further narrated the ordeal of a pregnant captive who gave birth in the forest without medical assistance after nearly two months in captivity. She alleged that fellow female captives assisted in the delivery after the abductors refused to provide a sharp object to cut the baby’s umbilical cord or water to clean the mother and newborn. According to her, one of the women eventually cut the umbilical cord with her teeth, while rainwater later served as the only means of cleaning both mother and child.

Despite the persistent attacks, some victims have recently regained their freedom. Among them were six schoolchildren, their driver and two other adults abducted along the Akwando–Kachia Road in April. They spent 36 days in captivity before escaping and trekking for about six hours through the bush to safety.

The latest attack has renewed calls by residents and community leaders for security agencies to intensify operations across Kachia and other parts of Southern Kaduna. They urged the Federal Government and the Kaduna State Government to strengthen intelligence gathering, sustain rescue efforts and dismantle criminal hideouts believed to be operating within forests across the region.

Efforts to obtain the reaction of the Kaduna State Police Command were unsuccessful, as the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, did not respond to calls seeking comment as of the time of filing this report.