By Austine Emmanuel
Banditry has once again struck the heart of Chikun Local Government Area in Kaduna State, as armed assailants abducted two sisters from the Maraban Rido community during a violent late-night raid on Monday.
The victims have been identified as Deborah Edward, a recently discharged member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), and her younger sister, Rachael Edward.
The attack has sent shockwaves through the region, occurring just two weeks after the mass abduction of over 177 worshippers in Kurmin Wali.
The widow and mother of the victims, Mrs. Alice Edward, recounted the harrowing experience to journalists on Tuesday.
She revealed that the bandits initially seized her along with her daughters and a houseguest, Priscilla. However, in a display of desperation and sacrifice, the two sisters pleaded with the kidnappers to release their mother, citing her status as their only surviving parent and her frail health.
The bandits reportedly heeded the plea and released Mrs. Edward, but they vanished into the night with the two daughters. Priscilla, who managed a miraculous escape, is currently hospitalized after a brutal assault.
She narrated how the attackers beat her with the butts of their rifles until she lost consciousness. Presuming she was dead, the bandits abandoned her, allowing her to be rescued by a Good Samaritan the following morning.
This latest incident highlights the fragile security situation in Chikun LGA. Findings by NewsDirect indicate that the Edward family had only recently returned to Maraban Rido in 2024, having previously fled to Narayi community due to the insecurity that plagued the area between 2022 and 2023. Their return was prompted by the Kaduna Peace Model, which residents now fear is failing to protect them within residential zones.
Community leaders are calling for immediate government intervention.
Pastor Solomon Emmanuel, a local cleric, expressed the community’s helplessness, stating that residents lack the capacity to defend themselves against such coordinated armed attacks.
Despite the gravity of the situation, efforts to reach the Kaduna State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Mansur Hassan, for an official statement were unsuccessful at the time of publication.