Fulani Ethnic Militia Kill Pastor, Kidnap 20 Christians in Kaura County
By Mike Odeh James
(Kaduna City) Christian leaders across Nigeria are rejoicing that President Donald Trump has announced that he will lean in on behalf of persecuted Christians in Nigeria. I am hereby making Nigeria a “COUNTRY OF PARTICULAR CONCERN” the President texted on his TruthSocial Account. But that is the least of it. When Christians, or any such group is being slaughtered … like is happening in Nigeria, something must be done,” Trump wrote.
Such news couldn’t come soon enough for the beleaguered Christian communities in Southern Kaduna that are suffering genocidal massacres and kidnappings for ransom on a weekly basis.
Mass Kidnapping in Kauru Local Government Area
According to sources in Farin Dutse, Kaduna State, 20 more hostages are now being marched to the notorious Rijana death camp south of Kaduna City. This brings the estimated number of captives in Rijana to hundreds, as mass abductions continue to feed a brutal system of starvation and torture. TruthNigeria coverage this year has exposed the grim reality of these camps—see our full Rijana series for details including how the Fulani Ethnic Militia now kidnap on the outskirts of Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city.
Southern Kaduna has been hit by yet another wave of violence after armed Fulani militants attacked a Christian farming community in Kaura County, killing a pastor and abducting more than 20 villagers.
The latest mass kidnapping in Farin Dutse, Kaura County, is not an isolated tragedy—it’s part of a relentless pattern fuelling the rise of mass hostage camps in the Rijana forest, the focus of our ongoing ten-part investigative series. Following Governor Uba Sani’s controversial amnesty agreement with dozens of bandit leaders in Birnin Gwari forest in November 2023, kidnapping gangs have escalated their operations, seizing groups of 10 to 20 villagers at a time and forcing them on days-long marches to Rijana’s network of camps. Survivors describe harrowing conditions—starvation, torture, and ransom demands—while sources estimate hundreds are currently held captive. Similar mass hostage camps have emerged in Nasarawa and Benue states, generating what is estimated to be millions of dollars for radicalized terror groups.
Description of Latest Kauru Attack
Kauru LGA covers roughly 3,186 sq. kilometers in southern Kaduna with headquarters at Kauru Town. It is home to diverse groups including Atsam, Abin, Abishi and others. Approximately 70 percent of Kauru’s population is Christian, 30 percent Muslim.
Farming (maize, millet, vegetables) dominates the economy. The road-distance to Kaduna City is approximately 88 miles and it is located Southeast of Kaduna
The assault took place in the early hours of Tuesday, October 28, 2025, when more than 30 gunmen stormed Farin Dutse, a quiet agrarian settlement about 100 miles southeast of Kaduna City. Witnesses said the attackers opened fire indiscriminately, forcing terrified residents to flee into surrounding farmlands and forests.
Among the victims was Rev. Yahaya Kambasiya, a pastor with the United Church of Christ in Nigeria (UCCN), commonly known as HEKAN.
Villagers Say Attack Targeted Cleric
Speaking to a TruthNigeria correspondent, a resident of the community, Illiya Jeptha, said the attack appeared to be aimed specifically at killing or kidnapping the pastor.
“When the terrorists came into the community, the first place they targeted was the church of the deceased. When they did not find him there, they went straight to his house,” Jeptha said. “I don’t have all the details, but it seems the terrorists wanted to take the pastor captive. When he refused, they killed him.”
Monday Buba, a 31-year-old farmer, told TruthNigeria that the terrorists had come to attack the church and its members.
“This is not the first time Fulani terrorists have attacked our community,” he said. “In most cases, the first place and persons they target are the church and the cleric. We are on edge here.”
Church Leaders Confirms the Attack
In a statement signed by Rev. Amos Kiri, President of HEKAN, the church condemned the assault as “a callous and inhumane act” targeting innocent Christians.
“With a heavy heart, we announce a tragic incident in Farin Dutse, Kaura County, where our pastor and members of the church came under attack by bandits,” Rev. Kiri was quoted as saying in the release.
According to Rev. Dauda Gambo, head of the HEKAN District Church Council in Kaura, the gunmen arrived around midnight and unleashed terror on the sleeping community.
“The raid led to the death of Rev. Kambasiya and the kidnapping of more than 20 residents, many of them HEKAN members,” he said.
Church in Mourning
The church confirmed that Rev. Kambasiya’s body has been taken to a local morgue and that burial arrangements will follow consultations with his family.
“The leadership of HEKAN is deeply pained by this loss,” Rev. Kiri said.
“This persistent violence is meant to silence and displace Christian communities,” he said. “We call on believers everywhere to pray for the victims, their families, and for peace in Nigeria.”
Pattern and History of Attacks
Tuesday’s assault follows a disturbing pattern of attacks on HEKAN congregations in Southern Kaduna.
On December 4, 2024, bandits invaded the same area and kidnapped 50 people, including Rev. Francis Lawal. One victim died in captivity, while others returned months later with severe injuries.
Just three days earlier, on December 1, 2024, four villagers — including Bitrus Alma and his sister — were abducted in Farin Dutse.
And on January 4, 2025, Rev. Lawal and dozens of villagers were again seized by armed men. Though most were eventually freed, the trauma of captivity still haunts the community.
Kaduna’s Amnesty Gamble Backfires: Attacks Expose Failed Peace Deal
The latest attacks on Kajuru and other communities in Southern Kaduna lay bare the grim truth — the so-called peace deal with repentant Fulani terrorists has collapsed before it even took root.
David Onyilokwu Idah, Director of the International Human Rights Commission in Abuja, told TruthNigeria that the renewed violence confirms what many critics feared from the start.
“When in September 2023 Governor Uba Sani offered amnesty to Fulani terrorists claiming to have repented, we rejected it because we knew these militants would not change,” Idah said.
He explained that not long after the peace pact was announced, militants who had temporarily observed the truce in Birnin Gwari County shifted their operations to Southern Kaduna — targeting Kauru, Kajuru, and Kachia with a wave of kidnappings and deadly assaults, mostly against Christian farmers.
“It shows clearly that the so-called peace deal with repentant Fulani terrorists was dead on arrival,” Idah added.
Mike Odeh James is reporter on conflicts and crisis in the Middle Belt and Sahel . He writes for TruthNigeria.
