A man identified as Sikiru has been killed, while his wife, two children and eight other residents were abducted during a midnight attack on Babban Saura community in the Chikun Local Government Area (LGA) of Kaduna State.
The attack occurred around 1am on Thursday when suspected bandits invaded three houses, throwing residents into panic.
A community source said the attackers first broke into the home of an elderly resident and abducted two of his children before moving to Sikiru’s residence.
The assailants reportedly broke through the fence of his compound and entered the house. Sikiru allegedly confronted them and struggled with some of the attackers before he was overpowered and killed.
His wife and two children were subsequently taken away.
The bandits also invaded a neighbouring house and abducted a woman and her four children. The woman was later rescued by soldiers and local vigilantes, but her children remained in captivity.
The commander of the local vigilantes, Usman Adamu, confirmed that nine people were initially abducted.
“We received a distress call that bandits had entered Babban Saura PW, and so we informed soldiers who joined us,” Adamu said.
He said the security personnel traced the attackers towards the Eastern Bypass and rescued the woman, identified as Maman Mubarak.
“We made efforts to rescue the other victims, but the bandits succeeded in escaping with them. We are still concerned about the safety of those abducted,” he added.
Another resident, Anas, said Sikiru had contacted him after the attackers entered the community.
“He called me after they entered the community. We were all worried because we could hear that the attackers were moving from one house to another,” he said.
Sympathisers gathered at Sikiru’s residence on Thursday as residents expressed concern over the security situation in the community.
The attack came days after suspected bandits invaded Kadaure community in the area, where a man was reportedly killed and cattle rustled.
The vigilantes said efforts were continuing to secure the release of those still in captivity.
The Kaduna State Police Command could not be reached for comment. Its Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansur Hassan, did not respond to calls or a text message as of the time of filing the report.
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