Fresh violence swept through parts of Kaduna State on Saturday as suspected bandits killed three residents and abducted a Catholic priest alongside several others in coordinated attacks across Kauru and Kagarko Local Government Areas.
The incident in Karku community, Kauru LGA, occurred in the early hours of Saturday when armed men reportedly stormed the area, firing sporadically before whisking away a Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Nathaniel Asuwaye, and other residents. Three people were confirmed killed during the attack.
Fr. Asuwaye, the parish priest of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Karku, was abducted along with 10 villagers, according to the Catholic Archdiocese of Kafanchan.
The Chancellor of the diocese, Jacob Shanet, confirmed the development in a statement, describing the incident as tragic and calling on Christians and people of goodwill to pray for the safe release of the victims.
“With deep sorrow, we announce the kidnapping of our priest, Rev. Fr. Nathaniel Asuwaye… This terrible event has resulted in the killing of three people, aside from those abducted,” the statement read.
The deceased were identified as Jacob Dan’azumi, Maitala Kaura and Alhaji Kusari.
Residents said the attackers invaded the priest’s residence and surrounding homes around 3:20am, leaving the community in fear and confusion.
In a related development, the Chief Imam of Janjala Central Mosque, Bello Abdullahi, and a Fulani community leader, Shehu Bello, were also kidnapped during separate attacks in Kagarko LGA.
Sources said the gunmen invaded several villages, including Iddo, Gidan-Makeri, Kohoto and Janjala, abducting residents and rustling cattle.
Many villagers reportedly fled their homes, with some seeking refuge in nearby towns such as Kagarko and Sabon-Wuse, while others spent the night in the bush.
A community source disclosed that the attackers were heavily armed and operated with ease, moving from one target to another.
Reacting to the development, the Chairman of the Northern Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Joseph Hayab, described the incident as another sign of worsening insecurity in the region.
He lamented the growing trend of attacks on religious leaders and innocent citizens, calling for urgent and decisive action to curb the menace.
Security sources at the Kaduna State Police Command said joint security forces comprising the military and police engaged the attackers in gun battles in the Kauru axis, expressing optimism that the perpetrators would be apprehended.
Meanwhile, the latest attacks reportedly followed a seven-day ultimatum issued by bandits demanding a ransom of ₦6m for a previously kidnapped woman and her four children.
Community leaders said the deadline expired without intervention from security agencies.
Efforts to obtain official confirmation from the police were unsuccessful, as the Police Public Relations Officer, Mansir Hassan, could not be reached.
Calls to his phone went unanswered, and messages sent had not been delivered as of the time of filing this report.
