In a shocking incident on Friday night, bandits launched an attack on Unguwan Ma’aji, located in the New Millennium City area of Chikun local government in Kaduna State. The assailants targeted a house near Chaha Eye Hospital, abducting a housewife and her house help. Additionally, they stormed another residence on the same street, kidnapping four more individuals. The horrifying ordeal left the community in a state of fear and uncertainty.
Eyewitnesses recounted the harrowing events, revealing that two people who were enjoying the evening outside their home were also abducted. However, these two individuals managed to escape while being taken through a stream at the rear of the community. The bravery shown during their escape is commendable, especially considering the dangerous circumstances.
The local Imam shared his terrifying experience, explaining that he had not yet returned home after leading the Isha’i evening prayer around 8:00pm when the kidnappers arrived. Recounting the details, he said, “I was seized in front of the mosque, and they proceeded to break into two other houses, taking six more individuals. As they targeted the second house, myself, another neighbor, and the women from the first house were instructed to lie down on the bare floor.”
“As the bandits broke into the second house and abducted four more people, our group grew to eight. They then began leading us out of the community. However, at the stream located at the far end, the two of us who were picked up outside our house managed to escape while they were attempting to cross the stream,” the Imam continued. His description of the perpetrators as young boys, with the eldest appearing to be no more than 20 years old, is alarming.
During the attack, the bandits also shot a resident who was returning home in his car. Despite the terrifying encounter, the victim’s refusal to stop allowed him to avoid being captured by the assailants. The bullet-ridden Peugeot 406 car belonging to the individual remained at the scene of the incident the following morning, serving as a chilling reminder of the violence that occurred.
As the community grapples with the aftermath of this horrifying bandit attack, concerns over their safety and the whereabouts of the abducted individuals persist. Our correspondent reached out to the Kaduna State Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Muhammad Jalige, who assured us that he would contact the DPO in charge of Millennium City. However, as of the time of reporting, he had yet to provide an official update to the media.