…including 4-months-old babies.
by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
No fewer than 18 persons, mostly women, children and infants, have been abducted, while two men were killed in a fresh midnight attack by armed bandits on Akwando community in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The attack, which occurred at about 12:30am on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, has thrown the entire community into mourning and renewed fears of worsening insecurity in the area.
The incident was made public by a former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the late Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, Reuben Buhari, who disclosed that the victims were members of his extended family, including his cousins, their children and grandchildren.
According to Buhari, the gunmen stormed the community in the middle of the night, shooting sporadically before whisking away 18 residents.
Those abducted include Usman Galadima, 55; Amina Ahmadu, 52; Alice Ahmadu, 45; Haske Ahmadu, 18; Magdalene Marcus, 35; and her six-month-old baby, Gloria Marcus.
Others are Lovene Ishaya, 25; Happy Steven, 23; and her one-year-old daughter, Zillah Steven; Afiniki Irimiya, 30, and her one-year-old daughter, Jeneth Irimiya; Laraba Irimiya, 32; Sim Shagari, 30; and her three-year-old son, Yangal Shagari.
Also taken were one-year-old Musa Genesis, Miracle Genesis, 21, and two other infants – a four-month-old girl and a five-month-old boy.
Buhari also identified the two persons killed during the attack as Irimiya Galadima, 41, and Benjamin Danlami, 32.
As of the time of filing this report, security authorities had yet to independently confirm the attack and the casualty figures.
Efforts to get the reaction of the Kaduna State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Hassan Mansur, were unsuccessful, as he could not respond when contacted.
The latest attack has heightened concerns over the persistent insecurity plaguing Akwando and other communities in Kachia LGA.
It would be recalled that, Akwando was also attacked on April 26, 2026, when nine people, including six schoolchildren, were abducted, while travelling from the village to Kachia.
The victims spent 36 days in captivity before regaining their freedom in early June. Community representatives and Buhari confirmed their release, saying the children endured a traumatic experience and missed almost an entire academic term.
A young girl was also reportedly killed during the April attack. Residents are now calling on the Kaduna State Government and security agencies to urgently intervene and rescue the abducted victims and secure the community from repeated attacks.