In the early hours of Thursday, bandits struck Mani Village, located opposite the Indomie factory in Rido Ward, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, abducting a woman and her three children, along with 16 others.
The attack adds to the growing wave of insecurity plaguing the region.
A source from the village, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, revealed that among the 19 victims, six were his relatives.
Read also: Air strikes destroy terrorist camps in Kaduna State
“We are in deep thought as I send this message, especially since we have not yet heard from the abductors,” he said.
The victims included a nursing mother with four children, young persons, and an infant. The source called on both federal and state governments to expedite efforts for the safe return of the abducted individuals.
Chikun Local Government Area has been a frequent target for bandits, with similar incidents reported recently.
Despite the ongoing crisis, neither the Kaduna State government nor the state police have issued official statements regarding Thursday’s attack.
In a related development, bandits also stormed Dan Honu II, New Millennium City, in Chikun Local Government, on Wednesday night, abducting a nurse and her three sons.
This attack occurred just two months after the abduction of two Kaduna-based journalists and their family members from the same community.
The journalists were held for a week before being released.
The gunmen reportedly invaded the home of Mutiu Adeleke around 10 p.m., shooting sporadically as they carried out the kidnapping.
Adeleke, who was initially taken, was later abandoned by the bandits when she struggled to keep up with their pace. She has since returned home, but her three sons remain missing.
According to sources, Adeleke had planned to move his family out of the community following the earlier abduction of his journalist friends.
He had secured a new apartment in a safer area and was in the process of relocating when the incident occurred.
It was learnt that as of now, no contact has been made by the abductors.
The ongoing spate of abductions highlighted the worsening security situation in Kaduna, leaving residents fearful and urging the government to take decisive action.
