Monday, January 26, 2026 - Barely a week after the abduction of 177 church worshippers in the Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, bandits have again struck in the area, abducting six residents of Unguwar Barkonu in Maraban Kajuru.
The latest attack occurred in the early hours of Sunday in
Kufana Ward, even as the Christian Association of Nigeria held special prayers
for the safe return of the previously abducted worshippers.
A resident of the community, Steven Kefas, said the armed
men invaded the area around 1 am, breaking into several houses and abducting
six residents.
“Bandits stormed our community at about 1 am, broke into
houses and forcefully took six people away to an unknown destination,” Kefas
said.
Expressing frustration over the location of the attack, he
added, “This incident didn’t occur in a remote village with no access to a
road.
It happened right at the heart of Kajuru, in Kudana,
where people expect some level of security presence.”
Kefas further lamented the absence of a rapid security
response.
“As of the time of filing this report, there was no response
from the police or other security agencies. The community was left on its own,”
he said.
Confirming the incident, the Chairman of CAN in Kajuru Local
Government Area, the Rev. Enoch Kaura, said the attack took place around 11 pm
on Saturday when bandits invaded the community.
“They surrounded the entire area and created fear among
residents,” Kaura said. “But when neighbours raised the alarm, and people
started coming out of their houses, the attackers fled, making away with six
residents.”
Kaura described the recurring attacks as deeply troubling,
especially coming so soon after the abduction of church worshippers.
“It is painful that while families are still crying and
praying for the return of the 177 abducted worshippers, bandits have struck
again. This has created fear and anxiety in the entire Kajuru axis,” he said.
Efforts to obtain official reaction from the Kaduna State
Police Command were unsuccessful.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan,
could not be reached as his telephone line indicated ‘not reachable’, while a
text message sent to him had not been responded to as of the time of filing
this report.
Meanwhile, a special prayer session for the safe return of
the 177 abducted worshippers was held on Sunday at Tawaliu Baptist Church in
Maraban Kajuru.
The prayer gathering attracted Christian leaders from across
Kaduna State and parts of northern Nigeria.
Families of the abducted worshippers, some of whom were
visibly emotional, attended the service as they continued to wait anxiously for
news of their loved ones. Church leaders used the occasion to call on
government and security agencies to intensify efforts to secure the release of
all abducted persons and restore peace to the area.
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