Warnings Given to Authorities Prior to Raids but to No Avail
By Mike Odeh James and Luka Binniyat
(Kaduna) — In the humid forests of Kagarko, far from sophisticated Kaduna, paydays are assured by planting ginger, but fortunes are made by kidnapping ginger farmers.
Two farming villages in southern Kaduna had been raided, threatened, and repeatedly reported to authorities over an eight-week span. But the Fulani ethnic kidnapping gangs returned as predictably as the lion prides that tracked herds of antelope in this territory 70 years ago.
Gunmen identified by villagers as Fulani Ethnic Militia (FEM) stormed Aribi Ward at midnight on March 29, 2026, killing 13 native Christians, wounding 10, and abducting 28 others into the surrounding forest in Kagarko County, Kaduna State. (A rural Kaduna ward is inhabited by 20,000 to 30,000 people).
It was the ward’s second mass kidnapping in fewer than eight weeks and the third armed incursion into its communities since the start of the year.
By the time state officials arrived from Kaduna city, the victims had already been buried. No troops intervened during the attack, and no abductees had been rescued at the time of filing this report.
No arrests have been announced. No confirmed rescue operation has been reported.
In fewer than eight weeks, Aribi Ward has lost 13 people to gunfire and seen 60 residents abducted in two separate attacks.
The communities say they issued warnings. Authorities were informed. The attacks followed as predicted. The 28 abducted on March 29 remain in captivity.
Authorities Forewarned of Attacks
“Fulani Ethnic Militia have been on the rampage in Kukyer and Kahir villages for a long time. The state and federal authorities are aware of these threats, but did nothing about them,” Kajit Dogo Malachi, a 45-year-old farmer told TruthNigeria
“Besides these attacks, the terrorists openly issue threats before coming. We notify the authorities, but nothing is done to stop them,” he added.
Night of March 29: One Hour, No Resistance
“The assault began at approximately 0015 hours while residents had gathered for a community celebration,” Malachi said.
“Heavily armed men arrived in large numbers and opened fire without warning. They operated without resistance for nearly one hour.”
Thirteen people were killed: Douglas John, Ado Yakubu, Mai Kano Aribi, John Dan Asabe, Williams Luka, Bako Danjuma, Joseph Yakubu, Victor Peter, Peter Williams, Dogara Markus, Francis Amadu, Zephaniah Alhaji, and one victim yet to be identified. All have since been buried.
Ten survivors sustained gunshot injuries: several were treated at Kagarko General Hospital, while two critically injured victims were transferred to Kaduna city.
28 Marched into Longterm Abduction Camps?
Twenty-eight community members were abducted. According to TruthNigeria investigations, the abducted persons likely are being tortured daily in open-air camps in Rijana forest in Chikun County or similar camps in Kachia County or Kajuru County.
Before withdrawing, the attackers looted shops and carted away food items, provisions, and drugs from a local pharmaceutical store. Their whereabouts remain unknown.
A Ward Under Siege
On February 9, gunmen identified by residents as Fulani Ethnic Militia raided Kutaho and Kugir communities within the same ward at about 2:00 a.m., abducting 32 people, including a Catholic catechist, his heavily pregnant wife, and their infant, according to Catholic World Report.
“Threats and ransom demands preceded the raid,” confirmed Rev. Fr. Linus Matthew Bobai, Parish Priest of St. Joseph Catholic Church, Kutaho.
“One parishioner was ordered to pay ten million naira or face abduction. Security forces in a neighbouring community were notified, but residents were told regular patrols were unavailable,” he said.
The abductors later demanded N30 million naira ($20,000) and four motorcycles for the victims’ release. As of March 29, those abducted in February remained in captivity.
Amnesty Program Blamed for Surge in Attacks
Credit Facebook page of MBF.
“The perpetrators are Fulani terrorists who benefited from the state government’s amnesty programme and have returned to violence,” said Dr. Bitrus Pogu, National President of the Middle Belt Forum.
“In September 2023, the Kaduna State Government introduced a peace model under which armed groups, mostly from Birnin Gwari, were rehabilitated after claiming repentance.
However, our monitoring shows that kidnapping, killing, land-grabbing, and rape increased significantly in southern Kaduna communities after the amnesty,” he said.
Pogu called for urgent intervention, warning that communities in the Middle Belt face existential threats if the violence continues unchecked.
Remote, Unguarded Ward
Kukyer and Kahir villages are in Aribi Ward, one of ten political wards in Kagarko County, approximately 120 kilometres (85 miles) south of Kaduna city.
The area borders the Federal Capital Territory and is predominantly inhabited by native Christian farming communities who rely on ginger, maize, and groundnut cultivation.
Residents say the communities are poorly policed.
The Kaduna State Police Command confirmed the incident through its spokesperson, DSP Hassan Mansur, stating that investigations were ongoing.
Deputy Governor Dr. Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe and Senator Sani Musa later visited survivors at Kagarko General Hospital—after the victims had already been buried.
Mike Odeh James and Luka Binniyat are conflict reporters for TruthNigeria.
