…as terrorists launch fresh attack, kill one, abduct Catholic Priest, others in Kaduna
By Austine Agbo Emmanuel, Kaduna
Victims of the November 11 abduction in Gidan Waya, Yarkasuwa in Lere Local Government Area, have remained in captivity one week after armed bandits stormed their community.
The attack left four residents dead and three others injured, while thirteen people, including children, teenagers, adults, and a local pastor of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), were abducted.
Families of the captives continue to wait anxiously for news of their loved ones.
Mr. Yakubu J. Maigamo, National President of the Association of Kaduna Residents (AKURDA), while reacting to the incident on Tuesday, described the abduction and killings as tragic and inhumane.
According to him, those killed included Promise Korau, 18 years old, Hycent Timothy, 19, Mato Shagori, 40, and Markus Ishaya, while those abducted included Habibu Yahaya, Love Markus, Mummy Markus, Catherine Shitu, Ibrahim Bagobari, John Ibrahim, Rev. Istifanus Dungu, Christiana Dungu, Prince Dungu, Miss Dauda, Mrs. Rev. Danbala Inuwa, Lois Markus, and Yohanna Umaru.
He added that the injured, currently receiving treatment in hospital, are Kephas Iliya, Philimon Daniel, and Ezra Samson.
Mr. Maigamo urged the authorities to take urgent action to secure the safe release of the abducted and prayed for the repose of those who lost their lives. He described the attack as a callous assault on humanity that has left the community in fear and mourning.
Barely a week after the Gidan Waya attack, bandits has again launched a fresh raid in Kushe Gugdu village, Kagarko Local Government Area, targeting St. Stephen Parish.
The assailants abducted the Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Bobbo Paschal, along with several other residents, and killed the brother of Rev. Fr. Anthony Yero. The Chancellor of the Kaduna Catholic Archdiocese, Rev. Fr. Christian Okewu Emmanuel, confirmed the incident, appealing to the public to pray for the victims’ safety and the repose of the deceased.
Human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, condemned both attacks, highlighting the ongoing insecurity and the need for a coordinated government response.
They noted that rural communities in southern Kaduna, as well as parts of Plateau, Zamfara, Benue, and Katsina States, remain highly vulnerable to armed banditry, with children and other vulnerable members of the society frequently targeted.
Residents and community leaders have renewed calls for intensified security operations and the safe release of those abducted.
Without decisive intervention, the cycle of abductions, killings, and fear is likely to persist, further undermining the fragile sense of safety in southern Kaduna.
