Military Prevents More Deaths in Village
By Luka Binniyat
KADUNA, Nigeria — Fulani terrorists on Monday morning, April 20, 2026, invaded Awon, a Christian community in Kachia County of Southern Kaduna, killing two residents and abducting seven others in a coordinated invasion, TruthNigeria confirmed.
Monday’s attack comes barely days after a similar but deadly invasion on nearby Ariko village, located approximately two miles west of Awon, also in Kachia County. In that Easter attack, terrorists killed seven men and abducted 37 villagers—mostly women and children—as they carried out Easter Sunday worship, Vanguard has reported (vanguardngr.com).
Mr. Rueben Buhari, former Press Secretary to Governor Ibrahim Yakowa, who has relatives in the two communities, collaborated with eyewitnesses in his Facebook page Tuesday, April 21, 2026 (facebook.com).
He said that the attackers, numbering about 30 and riding on 15 motorcycles, stormed the village around 9:00 a.m., splitting into two groups before opening fire indiscriminately on residents.
“The two victims were identified as Joseph Sule, male, 21, and Awilo Madugu, male, 34, gunned dead as they came out to defend the village from the marauders,” he said.
He went on to give the names of the seven abducted persons as: Gift Victor, female, 14; Hannatu Yusuf, female, 54; and Salina Sam, female, 23. The rest are Silvia Sam, female, 45; Dogarah Maisamari, male, 72; Hassana Bulus, male, 69; and Joy Samaila, female, 29.
Community sources also disclosed that three girls remain unaccounted for, as some residents who fled into nearby bushes during the attack were still returning at the time of reporting.
One resident is currently in critical condition receiving treatment at a hospital.
Residents noted that the prompt intervention of security forces helped prevent a higher death toll and more abductions.
“The military came just in time and scared away the terrorists before they committed more atrocities,” a village source told TruthNigeria on condition of anonymity Tuesday, April 21, 2026, via phone from Awon.
$.74 Million Ransom Demand Amid Humanitarian Conditions
TruthNigeria findings confirmed that the Ariko hostage situation has since escalated into a severe humanitarian crisis. In a statement issued by the Concerned Ariko Youths, signed by Chairman Linus Audu and Secretary Kefas Likita on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, the group revealed that the terrorists are demanding a staggering N1 billion (about $0.74 million) ransom for the release of the abductees. TruthNigeria reported the ransom demand on April 15, 2026 (truthnigeria.com).
2 Blind Old Men, Pregnant Women Among Hostages
The victims, according to the statement, include highly vulnerable individuals such as two elderly blind men, pregnant women, critically ill persons, and young children. Some families reportedly witnessed the killing of loved ones during the assault.
Describing the ransom demand as “inhumane and impossible,” the group warned that the situation has left survivors traumatised and the community in deep distress.
They called for urgent intervention from local, state, and federal authorities, including enhanced security deployment, coordinated rescue operations, and immediate humanitarian assistance.
Awon Stood Up To Terrorists Earlier
The latest Awon attack also follows a failed invasion attempt on the same community just a week earlier.
On Sunday, April 12, during church service, armed terrorists reportedly attempted to attack the village but were repelled by a swift military response, community sources affirmed to TruthNigeria.
Despite ongoing local security efforts, including community-led night patrols involving able-bodied men, residents say the threat persists.
A youth from a nearby village, who pleaded that his name not be mentioned for security reasons, disclosed to TruthNigeria that for the past three years, men aged 16 and above have taken turns conducting nightly patrols.
While this has reduced the frequency and severity of attacks, it has not eliminated them, he told TruthNigeria.
He explained that when faced with overwhelming terrorist threats, villagers are often forced to flee with women and children into the bush at night, returning only at dawn.
Indecent Proposal
According to him, some communities are now facing a grim dilemma: continue resisting, abandon their ancestral homes and become internally displaced persons, or enter into coerced arrangements with the terrorists.
Such arrangements, he said, may include supplying food, medicines, and even intelligence to the attackers.
There are also extreme conditions which may include allowing the terrorists to sleep with women at their discretion in exchange for temporary peace, he said. Many residents describe the conditions as tantamount to enslavement and say they would rather defend their community and die—or move out to become IDPs.
As attacks intensify across Kachia County, residents warn that without decisive intervention, rural communities in Southern Kaduna may be pushed beyond the brink.
