Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
In a stark escalation of violence in Southern Kaduna, Nigeria, armed bandits kidnapped an elderly woman and her young granddaughter late Monday night, compounding grief in a community already reeling from a brutal attack just two days earlier that claimed the life of the woman’s son and another resident.
The woman, identified as Mrs. Averik Arak, was abducted from her home in Arak Village, Sanga Local Government Area around 8:00 p.m. local time on Monday, according to local residents and community leaders. Her granddaughter — whose name has not yet been publicly released — was seized alongside her. The kidnapping occurred less than 48 hours after bandits shot and killed Mrs. Arak’s son, Habila Averik, and another villager on Saturday, as the family mourned the sudden loss. Reports indicate that Mrs. Arak was unwell at the time of the second attack and remains in a vulnerable condition.
Residents described the events as part of a wider and intensifying wave of violence that has plagued several communities across Southern Kaduna, with armed groups conducting nighttime raids that include murder, abductions and theft of livestock.
The recent spate of violence is emblematic of a broader security crisis in Kaduna State, where rural villages in Sanga, Kajuru, Kauru and other local government areas have increasingly become targets for criminal gangs — locally referred to as “bandits” — who operate with impunity in forested and hard‑to‑reach areas. In the latest series of assaults, an estimated 32 villagers were abducted, including women, elderly citizens and children, in several simultaneous nighttime incursions.
Following the Arak Village attack, residents in other Southern Kaduna communities reported mass abductions in Kauru and Kajuru, where approximately 15 villagers — predominantly minors — were taken in Unguwan Sarki Maro (Kajuru) and about 16 more were seized in Kadage village (Kauru) during separate raids. Community sources lamented what they described as a concerning lack of national media coverage and government response to the growing insecurity. The cumulative number of kidnappings since early December is believed to exceed 100 across these impacted villages.
The violence has also spilled into other parts of central and northern Kaduna, with reports that bandits in late December attacked a family in Kachia town, killing four members in a single overnight assault. Kachia, home to the Federal University of Applied Science, has seen repeated attacks despite its relative proximity to state and federal security infrastructure.
Local chiefs, youth leaders and civil society organizations have repeatedly appealed to federal and state authorities for reinforced protection and sustained security operations. Many residents say they live in constant fear, with some forced to abandon their farms and homes to seek safety in larger towns or entirely different regions.
The Nigerian government has traditionally responded to such incidents with a mixture of military deployments and negotiation strategies. In previous high‑profile abductions in the wider region — such as the 2024 kidnapping of more than 200 students from a school in Kuriga, Kaduna State — security forces eventually intervened to free hostages, illustrating both the complexity and persistence of the threat. However, critics argue that ad‑hoc responses are insufficient to protect remote rural communities, which often lack basic security infrastructure.
Banditry in northern and central Nigeria, particularly in Kaduna State, has roots in decades of socioeconomic challenges, including poverty, competition over land and water resources, weak governance in rural areas and the proliferation of small arms. The semi‑arid forested belts of Kaduna, Niger, Katsina and Zamfara states have become strongholds for loosely allied armed groups that engage in cattle rustling, kidnappings for ransom and occasional clashes with local vigilantes and security forces.
The federal government of Nigeria has classified such gangs as criminal elements, though their tactics and reach have led some analysts to describe them as hybrid insurgents with deep local knowledge and mobility. Efforts to broker peace with bandit factions have met with mixed results, and negotiations are often complicated by the number of competing groups and their fragmented leadership structures.
In Southern Kaduna, the violence has exacerbated longstanding ethnic, religious and economic tensions. The region’s diverse population, composed of numerous ethnic groups with varied livelihoods — from farming to artisanal mining — has historically maintained fragile coexistence. But the recent wave of kidnappings and extrajudicial killings has strained communal relations and heightened distrust of state institutions.
Human rights organizations monitoring the crisis report that ransom demands are frequently levied against families of abductees, creating financial strain for already impoverished rural populations. In some cases, community leaders say that ransom payments, whether in cash or livestock, have been made to secure the release of relatives, though many hostages remain unaccounted for months after their abduction.
Efforts by civil society to document the scale of the atrocities have been met with logistical challenges, including restricted access to affected villages and sporadic mobile network coverage. Analysts warn that without sustained and inclusive security measures, the cycle of violence could intensify, leading to further displacement and hardship for civilians.
Authorities at the state level have occasionally provided updates on military and police deployments in affected areas, but concrete information on operations targeting the latest kidnappers in Sanga, Kajuru, and Kauru is scarce. Local vigilante groups, often formed by the communities themselves, have attempted to fill security gaps, though they generally lack the training and firepower to confront well‑armed gangs.
In the wake of the latest abductions, community members have organized prayer vigils and solidarity rallies to raise awareness of their plight. Religious and traditional leaders have condemned the attacks, appealing to both federal and international partners for intervention. Many are urging a comprehensive strategy that combines improved policing, community engagement, economic development and strengthened rule of law to stem the violence.
For now, families like that of Mrs. Averik Arak remain in anguish, hoping for her safe return and an end to the violence that has shattered their lives and shaken confidence in the ability of the state to protect its citizens. 📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
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