Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Armed bandits have abducted at least 17 people and injured one person in a series of coordinated attacks on communities in Kajuru Local Government Area of Southern Kaduna, residents have confirmed. The attacks, which occurred between Saturday, 11 July 2026, and the early hours of Monday, 13 July 2026, have once again exposed the deepening insecurity gripping the region, where armed groups have continued to target farming communities with impunity.
According to accounts from residents who spoke to SaharaReporters, the latest attack occurred in the early hours of Monday at Hanya Maro, where armed bandits attacked farmers working on their farmlands and abducted six of them. The number of those injured in that particular assault could not be immediately confirmed. The other attacks occurred between Saturday and Sunday in Ungwan Busa and Banono Angwaku. In Ungwan Busa, the attackers reportedly stormed the community, abducting three residents and injuring one person during the assault. Similarly, in Banono Angwaku, the gunmen kidnapped eight people, with no injuries reported.
The fresh attacks have heightened concerns over the persistent insecurity in Kajuru Local Government Area, where communities continue to grapple with recurring kidnappings and violent attacks by armed groups. Many residents remain reluctant to speak to the media for fear of reprisals. As of the time of filing this report, security agencies had yet to issue an official statement on the incidents.
The latest abductions come just two weeks after a grim reminder of the brutality of the bandits. At least six residents abducted by bandits from Kutaho Village in the Southern Kaduna axis of Kaduna State were killed in captivity despite the payment of a substantial ransom by members of their community. Kutaho Village, located in Kagarko Local Government Area, came under attack by bandits during which several residents were kidnapped. Sources familiar with the incident told SaharaReporters that the victims were among those abducted during the raid. Those reportedly killed were identified as Friday Agama, said to have been the first captive executed by the bandits; Kunama Dogo; Monday Tanko; Lami Williams; a man identified only as Pawpaw's brother; and another captive identified as Catchiest, who sources said died after being subjected to severe punishment by the kidnappers.
The pattern of violence in Southern Kaduna has become a recurring nightmare for rural communities, where bandits have increasingly turned to mass abductions, killing those who cannot pay ransom or who are deemed expendable. In January 2026, bandits abducted more than 170 worshippers from three churches in Kurmin Wali, Kajuru LGA, demanding N250 million and 20 motorcycles for their release. Although some escaped, many remained in captivity for weeks. The frequency and brutality of the attacks have raised urgent questions about the effectiveness of security measures in the region, where military operations have failed to dislodge armed groups entrenched in the vast forests.
Community leaders have called on the Federal Government and security agencies to step up efforts to protect vulnerable communities, rescue victims of banditry, and ensure those responsible for the killings are brought to justice, warning that the persistent attacks continue to devastate rural communities. For the families of the 17 newly abducted residents, the wait for news of their loved ones has begun—a wait that, for many, has ended in tragedy before.
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