By Mike Odeh James & Luka Binniyat
KACHIA COUNTY, Kaduna State — Armed Fulani Ethnic Militia (FEM) ambushed an open truck transporting Christian schoolchildren from Kwando village, in Kachia County, Southern Kaduna in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, on Sunday April 25, 2026 kidnapping nine persons and one left dead, several sources confirmed to TruthNigeria
Akwando is about 2 miles east of Awon village where FEM attacked on April 7, 2026, killing one person and kidnapping 7 others as reported by TruthNigeria.
According to several accounts, the attack occurred less than ten minutes from Akwando village on Sunday , as indigenous Christian families hired an open back truck to transport their children to Kachia town where they are attending High School – about 18 miles north east of Akwando – for school resumption following the end of academic break.
Speaking exclusively to TruthNigeria via phone from Kachia Monday, April 26, 2027, Mr Mmanet Benjamin a school teacher from St. John’s Secondary School Kachia said that Fulani Terrorists ambushed a vehicle on the rural road, forcing it to stop despite the driver’s desperate attempts to escape.
“From what we know now, students are with the terrorists. Three of the students are from my school. Some are from Government Day Secondary School, Kachia and Prest Academy, Kachia,” he said.
There are three adults among the students that were kidnapped, he sad
A native of the area, Rueben Buhari, former Press Secretary to former Governor of Kaduna state, Sir Ibrahim Yakowa also confirmed the incident on his Facebook book page.
“Because most schools have resumed, children from Akwando village, Kachia LGA, were packed into a vehicle on Sunday, 25/04/2026, and taken to Kachia so they could resume at their respective schools,” he wrote.
“Less than 10 minutes’ drive, armed bandits ambushed them on the road. Despite the driver’s efforts to escape, these schoolchildren were kidnapped,” he said. He gave their names as:
1. Augustina Muntari – Senior Secondary School (SSS 2 – Government Secondary School (GSS) Gumel
2 Happy Muntari – Juniour Secondary School (JSS) 2 – GSS Gumel
3 Favour Tanimu – JS2 – GSS Kachia
4 Patience Joseph – JS2 – GSS Kachia
5 Peace Irimiya, student of St. John’s School Kachia
6 Bishara Irimiya, student of St. John’s School, Kachia
7 Irimiya Galadima, driver of the vehicle
8 Fatu Danladi – adult
9 Laraba Caleb – adult
“One girl, Purity Babangida, died while trying to escape,” he added.
According to him, 15 students escaped after jumping from the truck and trekked for hours through the bush before reaching some villages that include Awon.
The Chairman of Kachia Local Government Area (LGA), Dr. Manzo Maigari did not pick calls from our correspondent and didn’t reply to inquiries sent to him.
Pattern of Terrorist Violence
The attack represents the latest in a sustained pattern of Fulani Terrorist violence targeting Indigenous Christian communities across Kachia County and Southern Kaduna. The Akwando-Kachia corridor has become increasingly dangerous for indigenous Christian of the area, with multiple ambushes documented in recent months including mass murder of worshipers as reported by TruthNigeria.
TruthNigeria field reporting has documented at least seven separate ambush incidents along this specific route since January 2026, including attacks on commercial transport vehicles, private cars, and motorcycle taxis.
Sunday’s assault marks the first time schoolchildren have been specifically targeted on the Akwando road, though militia attacks on educational facilities and student populations have been recorded elsewhere in Southern Kaduna, with the infamous being the 2021 kidnapped of 140 students of Baptist High School, Damishi, Chikun County of Southern Kaduna.
Escalating Crisis for Christian Education
TruthNigeria field investigations have documented escalating Fulani militia attacks across Southern Kaduna since early 2026, with persecuted Christian communities facing coordinated assaults on farms, homes, worship centers, and now school transport routes. The targeting of Christian children traveling for education marks a disturbing escalation in the campaign of violence against indigenous populations in the region.
No Ransom Demand Yet
At press time, no ransom demand had been publicly reported, though families of the kidnapped victims have begun coordinating with community leaders and traditional rulers to prepare for potential negotiations, ThruthNigeria has been told.
Historical patterns from previous kidnappings in Southern Kaduna indicate demands typically emerge within 48–72 hours of abduction, with sums often exceeding several million naira.
Community sources indicated that Christian families are already pooling resources and selling assets to raise potential ransom payments, despite repeated warnings from security officials that such payments fuel further attacks. The Nigerian security forces have not issued an official statement on the incident, and no arrests have been announced despite the attack occurring on a known and frequently traveled transit corridor.
Luka Binniyat and Mike James Odeh report for TruthNigeria from Kaduna.
