By Luka Binniyat
MAKURDI, Nigeria — Fulani militants are coercing Christian communities in Southern Kaduna into what survivors describe as “slave agreements,” demanding cash tributes, sexual access to women, forced labor, and silence about kidnappings — with death promised for anyone who refuses, new accounts obtained by TruthNigeria reveal.
The co-founder of Resilient Aid and Dialogue Initiative (RADi), Rueben Buhari has made the disturbing revelation on his Facebook page Friday, May 29, 2026, saying some communities have rejected the proposal while some have conceded to the indecent proposal.
“I spent hours talking to some Internal Displaced Persons (IDPs) who were displaced by attacks and kidnappings in their communities in Southern Kaduna,” Buhari said.
Buhari, who is native of Awon, Kachia County where Fulani Ethnic Militia (FEM) attacked and kidnapped 10 persons on April 26, 2026, added that, “The alternative to halting the attacks is for them to enter into an agreement with the bandits. You can then till your farmland and be free to come and go as you please; however, the agreement comes at a really high cost for the people.”
According to Buhari, who was the Press Secretary to former Governor of Kaduna state, Ibrahim Yakowa, the agreement includes:
“1. Every household in the community pays a monthly or yearly levy to the terrorists with a record book kept containing the name of each household.
“2. The terrorists can decide to use your women or daughters – forcefully if you refuse.
“3. They are entitled to a certain percentage of your farm yield.
“4. You will be responsible for buying items for them from outside markets.
“5. You must notify them or their representative whenever a visitor arrives in your community.
“6. You are required to inform them whenever security approaches the community and also inform them about communities that refuse to have any agreement with them. Collaboration with security results in instant death.
“7. They can eject and occupy your house when in need.
“8. They can pass through your town with kidnapped victims, and you are expected to remain silent.
“9. If they decide to farm, you are expected to provide your members as farm laborers.
According to Buhari, failure to comply results in death, an increase in levy, or other punishments.
“Some communities have refused to enter into such agreements and have consistently been attacked, with their people kidnapped. They said they would rather defend their communities and die or abandon it than become slaves,” he said and called for prayers for them.
The Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU), which represents more than 58 ethnic nationalities across the region’s 10,000 square miles — roughly the size of Massachusetts — alleges that Fulani terrorist groups displaced about 1,000 communities in 2021.
Southern Kaduna has faced a sustained wave of kidnapping and violence tied to “banditry” and insurgent activity. Since 2011, estimates show that over 1,000 people have been killed and many more kidnapped and injured.
Kidnappings
For Kaduna State overall, SBM Intelligence recorded 132 incidents with 3,969 victims between 2019–2024—the highest in Nigeria at the time, according to Business Day report of 2025.
The report says that for Southern Kaduna specifically, local reports show concentrated spikes in the first quarter of 2024.
“Adara Development Association reported 29 villages attacked, 41 persons killed, and 222 kidnapped in Adara land spanning Kachia, Kajuru LGAs and Niger State.
“Other incidents include 87 kidnapped in Kajuru community on March 18, 2024, and 51 kidnapped with 3 killed across four villages in a 3-day period.
Ransom Totals
Exact Southern Kaduna ransom totals aren’t published separately, but Kaduna is consistently among the top states for ransom demands in 2024, according to allafrica.com report of 2025, citing Premium Times.
“Nationally, SBM reports kidnappers demanded N48 billion ( $33.1 million dollars) between July 2024–June 2025 and received N2.57 billion ( $18 million dollars) across 997 incidents with 4,722 victims,” the report says.
“For first quarter 2024 in Adara communities of Southern Kaduna, confirmed ransom paid totaled N880 million ($607,000 dollars): N230m ($159,000 dollars) in Kachia, N580m ($400,000 dollars) in Kajuru, and N70m ($82,000) in Niger State Adara areas,” the report added
The pattern shows kidnapping shifted from occasional raids to a structured “kidnap-for-ransom industry” targeting villages, farmers, and road travelers, with mass abductions.
Luka Binniyat writes for TruthNigeria on economics, security and politics from Kaduna.
