By Mike Odeh James
(Kaduna City) For thousands of parents in Northcentral Nigeria, the horrors of the Apocalypse are a lived experience in the hell zones of Kaduna state.
Systematic kidnapping of unarmed farming families in the rural areas of Kajuru, Kauru and Kaura Counties in Kaduna State has caught the attention of other Nigerian media as authorities remain silent about it.
SilverbirdTV covered the mass kidnappings in March.
Rev. Gambo Waziri, a native of Zangon Kataf in Southern Kaduna, decried the widespread silence of pastors and religious leaders, who fear physical violence and retaliation if they decry the violence against Christians in the Middle Belt. In addition, he charged that some religious leaders were compromised: “They have sold their souls to political leaders,” Rev. Waziri told Mary Kanu of TruthNigeriaTV.
The horrific kidnapping epidemic in Kaduna is now well known: it was reported in detail by Hudson Institute legal scholar Nina Shea at a US Congressional hearing on March 12, 2025.
In September 2023 viewers were given a superbly filmed documentary of the Mass-kidnap crisis in Kaduna by ARTE.TV, a French-German public TV media group: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JCpnW26HUs
TruthNigeria now has documented a new wave of kidnappings in several counties of the eastern side of Kaduna State where Nigerian media have not seen fit to take their cameras.
Close to 1,000 citizens have been taken into deeply hidden forest camps since July, 2024, including 11 kidnapped and 4 murdered in Kauru County during the last two weeks.
Fulani ethnic militia have intensified their campaign of kidnappings and killings in the predominantly Christian communities of Kusheka (ku-SHAKE-uh) and surrounding villages in Kauru, approximately 81 miles southeast of Kaduna City, plunging the area into a state of fear.
In less than 13 days, four people were killed, and 11 others abducted in villages around Kusheka. The region has suffered repeated attacks, leading to the displacement of 50,000 Christians and the deaths of many more.
Kusheka: A Community Under Siege
The Kusheka area is home to the Surubu people, predominantly Christians of Catholic and Baptist faiths, who rely on farming. They cultivate white beans, soybeans, maize, guinea corn, groundnuts, tamba, and rice.
However, their peaceful existence has been shattered by relentless terrorist raids.
Ambush in Kaibi, Killings in Betel
In a phone interview with TruthNigeria, Tanimu Solomon, a Baptist Church elder in Kusheka, described how Fulani terrorists ambushed vehicles on the Kusheka-Kaibi route on March 21, 2025, abducting three individuals.
“We were traveling in three buses to Kaibi for a wedding when Fulani militants ambushed us. They opened fire on the first bus and surrounded the others, forcing everyone out. Some of us managed to escape into the forest. After hours in hiding, we returned to Kusheka and realized at least five people were missing—kidnapped by the attackers.”
On March 14, Kaibi village endured a brutal attack by 20 armed Fulani terrorists who raided the community at night.
“They came with flashlights, moving from house to house, selecting their victims. After an hour of terror, they kidnapped eight people—mostly farmers and their children,” said community leader Jaafaru Maigini.
Three days later, on March 17, the terrorists returned, killing two people and abducting four others.
That same day, another assault in Betel village left two more residents dead, deepening the community’s despair.
Fulani Land Grabbing: A Calculated Plan
Ishaya Samaila, a 45-year-old Catholic father of five, believes the attacks are deliberate.
“They want to take over our ancestral land for grazing and impoverish us by attacking our farmers, forcing us to flee Kusheka, Saibi, and Bethel,” he said. “Those attacking us are Fulani Muslims, and they have vowed to continue until we convert to Islam.”
Kusheka: A Community Under Terrorist Siege
Kusheka and neighboring communities in Kauru have become targets of escalating terrorist activity as Fulani militants migrate from northern Kaduna into the county. Kusheka now bears the brunt of this violent expansion.
Between November 2024 and March 2025, the Surubu people of Kusheka faced over 30 attacks, resulting in 20–25 deaths and property losses exceeding ₦30 million.
Rev. Caleb Maaji, Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Kaduna, condemned the worsening crisis.
“Kauru and Kajuru counties have become hotspots for kidnapping and banditry. We urge the government to deploy security forces to stop this carnage,” he pleaded.
With no intervention in sight, the people of Kusheka remain trapped in terror, wondering when the next attack will come.
Kidnappings and Ransom Payments in Kajuru and Kauru Counties (2024 – February 2025)
Community leaders in Kajuru and Kauru Counties tell TruthNigeria of many people who have been kidnapped in several villages of the two counties between the second quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of 2025 most of the kidnappings go unreported, they told TruthNigeria.
Documents obtained by the community leaders in the two counties show that during the last year 768 residents of Kajuru County and 220 residents of Kauru have been kidnapped, totaling 988.
Ransom Payments paid to kidnappers, including both cash and in-kind payments of motorcycles amounts to $440,000, according to IDP administrator Ado Alipiri. Total ransom payments over the same period from Kauru county amount to $85,000, according to community leaders.
Freed Victims Reveal Horrors of Rijana Forest, a Hub for Kidnappers in Northern Nigeria
Freed victims of armed gangs have identified the dense Rijana forest, straddling Niger State and Kachia County in Kaduna, as a major hideout for kidnappers—both local and foreign—where hostages endure torture, extortion, and execution. According to TruthNigeria sources there are three terrorist camps midway between Shiroro in Niger State and the Kaduna-Abuja expressway.
In harrowing accounts shared with Truthnigeria, former captives described a highly organized network of armed groups operating from concealed camps deep within the forest.
A Well-Equipped Terror Hub
According to one survivor, Zephaniah Jibril, the kidnappers—mostly ethnic Fulani—are divided into multiple groups, each running separate camps with sophisticated logistics.
“Each unit has over 40 armed men,” the victim said. “They carry rifles, walkie-talkies, and use solar panels for electricity. Some even monitor security forces with radios.”
The forest’s thick vegetation shields the camps from aerial surveillance and ground operations, making it a persistent security challenge.
Mass Abductions and Brutality
Victims from Kauru, Kujama, and Chikun are frequently taken into Rijana, in Chikun County, with some transported across the Kaduna River into Niger State.
“They keep bringing more people,” the survivor added. “When I was freed, there were between 150 to 200 hostages—maybe more.”
Those whose families fail to pay ransoms face brutal consequences. “Many are executed,” the Jibril revealed.
The testimonies highlight the growing audacity of kidnap gangs in Nigeria’s northwest, where criminal networks exploit ungoverned forests. Despite military operations, the region remains a hotspot for mass abductions.
Authorities have yet to comment on the latest disclosures. Meanwhile, families of captives plead for urgent intervention before more lives are lost.
Mike Odeh James is a Conflict Reporter for TruthNigeria.
