Two persons have reportedly been killed, while 20 others were abducted after suspected terrorists invaded Akwando community in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Wednesday.
The attack, which reportedly occurred around noon, was disclosed on Thursday by the President of the Kuturmi Unity Development Association (KUDA), Dr Joseph Ariko, and its Publicity Secretary, Manasseh Samuel Akwando.
The police had yet to confirm the incident as of the time of filing this report.
In a statement, KUDA expressed concern over the persistent attacks on communities in the area, noting that the latest incident occurred while residents were still struggling to recover from an Easter Sunday assault on Ariko community.
The association described the fresh attack as another disturbing episode in the worsening security situation confronting Kuturmi 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 released the names of the 20 persons allegedly abducted during Wednesday's incident.
They were identified as 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 left five people dead at the scene, while another 17 victims reportedly died after being taken captive.
It also highlighted a separate attack on Awon community, where two people were allegedly killed and 11 others abducted.
According to KUDA, five of the victims abducted in Awon regained their freedom on November 3, 2026, but one of them died the following day. Another reportedly escaped, while five others died in captivity.
The association said the repeated attacks had created widespread fear, forced residents to flee their homes and disrupted economic activities, particularly farming.
It further alleged that armed groups had prevented residents from accessing their ancestral lands and agricultural fields, with some reportedly demanding payments before allowing farmers to cultivate their lands or harvest their crops.
However, KUDA stressed that the allegations should not be regarded as established findings against any individual or group, calling instead for independent investigations by relevant authorities.
The statement said such investigations were necessary to establish the circumstances surrounding the attacks, identify possible patterns and determine appropriate security and legal responses.
KUDA appealed to the Federal Government, Kaduna State Government and Kachia Local Government Council to urgently deploy adequately equipped security personnel to Akwando, Ariko, Awon and other vulnerable communities.
It also called for coordinated security operations to secure the release of the 20 people abducted in Akwando, alongside other victims still being held by their captors.
Among its other demands were the establishment of permanent security posts, regular patrols, functional early-warning mechanisms, prosecution of those responsible for the attacks and humanitarian support for affected families, survivors and displaced residents.
The association specifically urged President Bola Tinubu, Governor Uba Sani, the National Security Adviser, the Inspector-General of Police and the Chief of Defence Staff to intervene, describing 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 respond to calls and a text message sent to him as of the time of filing this report.
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