By Abbas Danjuma Dangwa and Mike Odeh James
A Once-Thriving Community in Ruins
Once a thriving farming community, Kusheka and its surrounding villages now stand as a grim testament to the escalating wave of kidnappings and killings in northwestern Nigeria.
Speaking to Truthnigeria correspondents, Dr. Michael Duwai, a community leader and former lecturer, revealed that more than 50,000 people have fled Kusheka and its villages due to the unrelenting violence and abductions by armed Fulani militias.
“Most of the residents have abandoned their villages and fled to neighboring communities for safety,” Duwai said.
“The attacks are carried out by armed Fulani militias who invade at night, firing indiscriminately, killing residents, and kidnapping villagers—especially women and children—while shouting ‘Allahu Akbar.’”
As of March 2025, the number of displaced persons from Kusheka and its surrounding communities exceeds 50,000, Duwai noted.
Kusheka, located in Kauru County, lies 70 miles northeast of the Kaduna state capital. The community, predominantly inhabited by the Surubu ethnic group, was once known for its vast agricultural productivity. Farmers cultivated white beans, soya beans, maize, guinea corn, groundnut, tamba, and rice.
The population of Kusheka and the Surubu people is over 90 percent Christian, with Catholics and Baptists having the largest followings. The largest churches are St. Mary Parish and Albarka Baptist Church.
However, relentless attacks attributed to armed Fulani militias have led to a mass exodus of families, leaving behind abandoned farmlands and shattered livelihoods.
Targeted Attacks with a Purpose
The assaults on Kusheka and its villages are far from random. Jaafaru Maigini, a farmer and father of six, believes the Fulani militias operate with precise intelligence, selecting their targets to instill maximum fear and devastation.
“They target farmers and their children. When they raid a house, the first thing they do is kidnap the children, often leaving the parents behind so they can raise the ransom money,” Maigini explained.
Between November 2024 and March 2025, Kusheka’s farmers have collectively paid nearly ₦300 million in ransom, according to him.
“For each kidnapped family, we are forced to pay at least ₦30 million or more.”
“In the period between November 2024 and March 2025, over 10 farming families have been kidnapped, each paying huge ransoms to secure their loved ones,” Maigini added.
This has forced many farmers to flee Kusheka and its villages, leaving behind their only source of income.
More Than Ten Executed by Terrorists
Another resident, Shamaki Dauda, told Truthnigeria that more than ten people, including a six-year-old child, have been executed after their families failed to meet ransom demands on time.
“More than 20 villagers, including children as young as five, are still in captivity. Many are being held in Rijana,” Dauda disclosed.
Personal Tragedies Amidst the Conflict
For residents like Samaila Saye and Adamu Maigara, the nightmare is personal and ongoing. During a midnight raid, their wives and children were abducted. The kidnappers are demanding ₦30 million per family—an impossible sum for already struggling farmers.
Meanwhile, Dauda, a father of two, has watched his neighbors disappear one by one. He shares a sentiment echoed by many in Kusheka and its villages—a profound sense of abandonment by the Nigerian government.
“The security forces have left us to our fate,” he lamented, highlighting the absence of any meaningful intervention to protect the community.
Government Neglect Fuels Insecurity in Kusheka and Kauru Counties
Maigini, who has lived his entire life in Kusheka, expressed deep concern over the persistent kidnappings and killings in Kauru County. Despite the state government’s awareness of the crisis, no concrete measures have been taken to enhance security.
“The state government has not deployed soldiers or police to our community, allowing terrorists to continue their heinous activities unchecked,” Maigini lamented.
Echoing these sentiments, the State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Caleb Maaji, described Kauru and Kajuru counties as the epicenter of kidnapping and banditry in Kaduna State during an interview with Truthnigeria.
“I urge the state government to deploy security agencies to Kauru and Kajuru to curb the rampant kidnappings plaguing these areas,” the clergyman appealed.
Poor Infrastructure Hinders Security Efforts
The lack of basic infrastructure further exacerbates insecurity in Kusheka and its villages. The community suffers from a dilapidated road network, making it nearly impossible for security agencies to respond swiftly to emergencies.
Truthnigeria correspondents reported that what should be a two-hour journey from Kaduna to Kusheka now takes up to ten hours due to the deplorable state of the roads.
Maigini explained:
“As you witnessed, only motorcycles can navigate these routes. The roads are riddled with gullies and potholes and are often waterlogged. It can take an entire day to reach Kusheka. Consequently, security forces face significant challenges responding to distress calls. It is imperative that the government establishes a military base in Kusheka.”
He also highlighted the poor state of telecommunication services.
“GSM networks are not functioning properly, and our communication with the outside world is infrequent and unreliable,” he noted.
Security Services Grossly Outnumbered
Tanimu Solomon, a resident of Kusheka, tells Truthnigeria that there is only one police station in Kusheka and no military base, and that the police station is manned by fewer than 16 officers who are not heavily armed.
“We have a police station, but it is staffed by fewer than 16 officers, and they are not armed with heavy weapons. Besides, our vigilante group is not up to 30 members, and they are armed with batons, a few pipe guns, and sticks.
“The combination of the vigilante and the police cannot match the Fulani terrorists who come at times 30 in numbers and are heavily armed with AK-47s and submachine guns.
In this case, the security officers in our town are not a match for the terrorists.”
A Desperate Plea for International Intervention
With no resolution in sight, the people of Kusheka and its villages are making an urgent appeal to the international community, including the United States and the United Nations. They fear that without external intervention, their village—and their very existence—will soon be erased.
“If no one comes to our aid,” Maigini warned, “Kusheka and its villages will soon be nothing more than a memory.”
Abandoned Because of Their Faith
Rev. David Ayuba Azzaman questioned why neither the Federal nor the State Government has deployed soldiers to Kusheka.
In a brief chat with Truthnigeria, he noted,
“The Federal Government and the State Government have not been doing their best in providing security to the people of Kusheka and Southern Kaduna because they are mainly Christians.
“While the government actively combats terrorism in Zamfara, Katsina, and Kebbi, similar efforts are noticeably absent in Christian-majority areas like Kusheka,” he noted.
