Armed Bandits attacked Kurutu village and abducted victims from nearby Azaara community in Kachia LGA, Kaduna State. They abducted three women and one child.
5 Jul 2025 · Azaara, Kachia, Kaduna
Deaths
0
Injured
0
Kidnapped
4
Total casualties
0
Perpetrators
Bandits
Response
A community leader alerted soldiers stationed at the Maraban Jibo community, and troops alongside vigilantes later trailed the Bandits that Saturday evening . The Kaduna State Police Command spokesperson, ASP Hassan Mansur, could not be reached for comment on the incident at the time of filing . The Kachia LGA Chairman appealed for calm
Displacement
0
Socioeconomic drivers
Banditry, ransom economy, weak rural security, targeting of women and children
Trajectory
Incident reflects continuation of rural abductions in Kaduna, with Bandits exploiting inter-village routes to evade detection.
Cycle notes
Draws on abductions of women and children in Kaduna and Niger, showing how cyclical violence disproportionately harms vulnerable populations.
Pattern
Rural abductions in Kaduna
Related — Banditry
Troops from the 1 Division of the Nigerian Army immediately mobilized, evacuated the injured to hospitals (some referred to Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital, Kaduna), and launched rescue operations. Among the deceased were Elisha Pius, Japhet Bitrus, Obadiah Joshua, and Luka Augustine of Wake, as well as Ezekiel Augustine, Ishaya Paul, and Bulus Bawa of Gadanaji village. Witnesses said the Bandits “stormed the community in their large numbers and carried out their heinous act unchallenged”. A ninth victim later succumbed to injuries, raising the death toll to nine.
One Soldier Injured As Troops Kill 8 Bandits in Katsina.
At approximately 7 pm on Christmas Eve, two groups of ISWAP fighters—first in trucks and later reinforcements on motorcycles and by foot—invaded Garkida town in Gombi LGA, chanting “Allahu Akbar” as they moved from one Christian premise to another. They asked Christians to convert “or face their wrath,” selectively targeted Christian properties (church buildings, homes, vehicles, pharmaceutical shops, a general hospital, a new shopping mall and a construction company‘s equipment), looted medical supplies and food meant for holiday distributions, and set buildings ablaze. Muslim houses and properties were deliberately bypassed. At least six civilians were killed on the night of the attack, one of whom was a female victim shot by a stray bullet. Gun battles erupted between the fighters and soldiers of the 232 Battalion (who were deployed in the town) and local vigilantes. Residents fled to the top of the mountain range and endured harsh harmattan conditions through the night. Airstrikes from the Nigerian Air Force helped beat back the fighters, but not before they looted and set fire to property. At least 11 residents were abducted; some were later executed, with ISWAP releasing a video showing the killing of five of the abducted residents. The fighters withdrew around 1 am.