Armed bandits late Saturday night attacked Janjala community in Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State, abducting a vigilante member, his wife, and 12 other residents, while leaving one man injured by gunfire.
The assault, which occurred around 11:23 p.m., saw more than 20 bandits armed with AK-47 rifles storm the village from a nearby bush, according to a resident, Ayatullah Ibrahim.
The attackers reportedly opened fire on local vigilantes stationed at the rear of the community. Although the vigilantes engaged them in a gun battle, they were eventually overwhelmed by the bandits’ superior numbers and forced to retreat.
Despite receiving a warning through a walkie-talkie shortly before the invasion, the community was unable to prevent the attackers from entering homes and abducting residents.
During the exchange of gunfire, a vigilante member identified simply as Ibrahim was struck by a stray bullet, though it did not penetrate his body. Another resident, Aliyu Mahmud, said the gunmen shot sporadically for nearly an hour without any response from security agencies.
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The bandits also looted a local shop, making away with snacks, food items, and recharge cards valued at more than N176,000.
Those abducted were identified as vigilante member Saleh Adamu and his wife, Fatima Adamu; Gambo Bakoshi and Abdulmalik Gambo; Danlami Usman; Husaaiba Usman and her two-year-old son; Murjanatu Habiba; Abida Habibu; Yahanasu Yakubu; Sadiya Abubakar; Rabiatu Ummi; and Maryam Ibrahim.
One of the victims’ relatives, Halima Bello, recounted how the gunmen forced their way into her husband’s room before attempting to take her as well. She said they relented after her four-year-old daughter began screaming.
Abubakar Ibrahim, whose three daughters were abducted in the latest attack, described his anguish, noting that his family had previously been targeted two years ago. He said he is still repaying debts from the ransom he paid at the time and expressed uncertainty about how he would raise money again.
Residents say the latest assault marks the third major attack on Janjala in two years, prompting many villagers to flee to safer areas such as Kagarko and Sabon-Wuse. Neighboring communities including Kohoto, Iddo, Kurmin Kare, and Hayin-Dam have reportedly been abandoned.
Shamsudeen Adamu, who sustained a gunshot wound to the abdomen while trying to escape, is currently receiving treatment at Kagarko General Hospital. He said he crawled into an uncompleted building and lay there bleeding until the attackers left and he was taken to hospital by motorcycle.
The Waziri of Janjala, Alhaji Saleh Musa, lamented what he described as a lack of prompt response from security agencies, saying no operatives had visited the community as of Sunday following the attack.
A security source confirmed the incident on Monday and said troops, alongside vigilantes, are combing nearby forests in a bid to rescue the abducted residents. However, the spokesperson for the Kaduna State Police Command, DSP Hassan Mansur, had yet to issue an official statement at the time of this report.
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