Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The nightmare began on a quiet Saturday evening, June 6, 2026, when Jagora Dabo, his pregnant wife and their children returned from their farm in Kallah, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State. They never made it home. Armed bandits struck, killing Jagora on the spot and dragging his pregnant wife and children into the dense forests that have become the graveyard of countless Nigerian dreams. For 65 agonising days, the family was held in captivity, their fate hanging by a thread. Then, on Monday, August 10, 2026, they were released, emerging from the bush battered, traumatised, but alive. The widow had given birth to a baby while in captivity. The family returned in a state of utter distress, the mother and children suffering from physical wounds, exhaustion and severe emotional trauma.
The attack on the Dabo family was not an isolated incident. On that same weekend, bandits launched coordinated assaults on Kallah and Kufana villages in Kajuru Local Government Area, killing two residents—Jagora Dabo and Misali Adamu—and abducting four others, including Jagora's pregnant wife and children. In a separate attack in Kachia Local Government Area, one person was killed and seven others abducted. The attacks, which occurred between Saturday and Monday, targeted several communities in Southern Kaduna, raising fresh concerns over the worsening security situation in the area.
The Dabo family's ordeal is a grim testament to the brutality of the kidnap-for-ransom economy that has turned vast swathes of Nigeria's North-West into a zone of lawlessness. While details of the negotiations leading to their release remain unclear, the family's return has laid bare the profound human cost of banditry. According to an account by Alheri Usman Grace, Jagora's wife gave birth to a baby while still being held captive. The mother and children are said to be suffering from physical wounds, exhaustion and severe emotional trauma. The family's breadwinner and protector is gone, leaving them without a husband and father.
The family now faces an even more daunting challenge: survival. Alheri said the family urgently requires medical attention and other forms of support, particularly the mother and newborn baby, who need proper medical care. She also noted that relatives who worked tirelessly and spent substantial resources to secure the family's release are now facing significant financial and emotional pressure. "The pain and trauma they have endured are beyond what words can explain," Alheri said, appealing for support for the family. She stressed that beyond their physical injuries, the family would require continued emotional and psychological support to recover from their experience.
The Dabo family's release comes amid a wave of kidnappings and killings that have plagued Kaduna State in recent months. In July 2026, bandits abducted at least 17 people in fresh attacks on Southern Kaduna communities. In June 2026, no fewer than four persons were killed and 11 others abducted in separate attacks in Kachia and Kajuru Local Government Areas. The attacks have renewed fears among residents over persistent insecurity, with community members alleging that violent incidents in the area are often underreported despite repeated attacks on rural settlements. They expressed concern over the continued threat posed by bandits, saying many communities remain vulnerable to kidnappings, killings and other criminal activities.
The attacks have also sparked fresh concerns about the effectiveness of government efforts aimed at tackling insecurity, including non-kinetic strategies such as dialogue, reconciliation and rehabilitation programmes designed to encourage armed groups to abandon violence. Residents called on security agencies and relevant authorities to intensify operations in the affected areas, improve protection for vulnerable communities and ensure that those responsible for the attacks are apprehended and prosecuted. They maintained that urgent action was needed to prevent further loss of lives and restore confidence among residents living in fear of recurring attacks.
For the Dabo family, the road to recovery will be long and arduous. The widow must now raise her children alone, haunted by the memory of watching her husband gunned down before her eyes. The newborn baby, born into captivity, will grow up with a story no child should ever have to bear. And the community of Kallah will continue to live under the shadow of banditry, wondering when the next attack will come.
As the family appeals for help, one question echoes through the villages of Southern Kaduna: how many more families must endure this nightmare before the government acts decisively? The Dabo family is free, but their freedom has come at a cost no family should ever have to pay. They are alive, but they are not whole. They are home, but they are not safe. And until the guns fall silent and the bandits are brought to justice, the people of Kallah and countless other communities across Nigeria's North-West will continue to live in fear, praying that they will not be the next family torn apart by the violence that has become their daily reality.
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