Two people have reportedly been killed, while 20 others were allegedly kidnapped after suspected terrorists invaded Akwando community in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Wednesday.
The incident, which is yet to be confirmed by the police, reportedly took place around midday. The development was made public on Thursday by the President of the Kuturmi Unity Development Association (KUDA), Dr Joseph Ariko, and its Publicity Secretary, Manasseh Samuel Akwando.
The association expressed concern over the repeated killings and abductions in Kuturmi communities, noting that the latest attack occurred while residents were still recovering from an Easter Sunday assault on Ariko community.
It described the incident as “another deeply troubling development in the persistent security challenges confronting our communities”.
“It is particularly distressing that the attack occurred while our people are still grappling with the consequences of the Easter Sunday attack on Ariko,” the statement said.
KUDA also published the identities of the 20 individuals reportedly abducted during Wednesday’s attack.
They include Usman Galadima, La’a’zarus Genesis, Madalin Markus, Happy Stephen, Lovet Ishaya, Afiniki Irimeya, Amina Ahmadu, Miracle Genesis, Hellen Irimeya and Musa Genesis.
Others are Janet Irimeya, Gloria Markus, Zila Stephen, Alis Ahmadu, Haske Ahmadu, Great Isiac, Hanatu Irimeya, Desmon Ishaya, Siam Shagari and Nansy Genesis.
The association recalled that an earlier attack on Ariko community on Easter Sunday reportedly claimed five lives at the scene, while another 17 victims subsequently died in captivity.
It also highlighted an attack on Awon community, where two people were allegedly killed and 11 others kidnapped.
According to KUDA, five of the abducted residents of Awon regained their freedom on November 3, 2026, but one of them died the following day. Another victim reportedly escaped, while the remaining five died in captivity.
The association said the persistent attacks had triggered widespread fear and displacement, disrupted economic activities and forced many residents to abandon their farmlands.
It further alleged that armed groups had prevented residents from accessing their ancestral lands and engaging in farming activities, sometimes demanding payments or levies before allowing them to cultivate their farms or harvest their produce.
However, the association stressed that the allegations required independent investigation and should not be regarded as established conclusions against any person or group.
“We emphasise that these concerns are not presented as concluded findings against any individual or group.
“Rather, they underscore the urgent need for independent, impartial and thorough investigations by competent authorities to establish the circumstances surrounding the attacks, identify any underlying patterns and determine the appropriate legal and security responses,” the statement said.
KUDA urged the Federal Government, Kaduna State Government and Kachia Local Government Council to deploy adequately equipped security personnel to Akwando, Ariko, Awon and other communities considered vulnerable to attacks.
It also called for coordinated security operations to rescue the 20 people abducted in Akwando, alongside other residents still being held captive.
The association further demanded the establishment of permanent security posts, increased patrols, effective early-warning systems, prosecution of those responsible and humanitarian support for affected families, survivors and displaced persons.
It appealed to President Bola Tinubu, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, the National Security Adviser, the Inspector-General of Police and the Chief of Defence Staff to address the situation as an urgent security and humanitarian crisis.
“Our communities cannot continue to experience recurring attacks, lose their loved ones, endure the abduction of family members, abandon their farmlands and face uncertainty over the safety of their ancestral settlements,” it said.
Efforts to obtain the police’s reaction were unsuccessful, as the Kaduna State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, did not answer calls or respond to a text message sent by our correspondent before the report was filed.
