Survivors and local officials say armed Fulani bandit‑terrorists have imposed coercive rules across more than 50 communities in Southern Kaduna, including sexual violence, forced labor, and severe movement restrictions.
By Luka Binniyat and Mike Odeh James
(Kaduna) – Villagers in at least 50 communities of Kajuru and Kachia Local Government Areas (LGA) of Southern Kaduna, Middle Belt of Nigeria, have allegedly been forced into a horrifying coexistence with armed Fulani kidnappers.
They have an unwritten agreement that has stripped them of virtually every freedom and dignity, according to testimonies gathered by the Resilient Aid and Dialogue Initiative (RADi).
The accounts were narrated by Reuben Buhari, Co-founder of RADi and former Press Secretary to a former Governor of Kaduna State, alongside Alheri Magaji, Co-founder of the organisation.
The allegations were independently confirmed to TruthNigeria by the member representing Kajuru LGA in the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Hon. Danlami Stingo, and the Chairman of Kajuru Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), Ali Ado Alipiri, who said the situation is true for other communities in neighbouring Kachia Local Government Area.
For security reasons, the identities of survivors and the names of some affected communities have been withheld.
According to Buhari, one survivor, who managed to secretly leave his village after a week-long journey, painted a chilling picture of life under the alleged agreement.
“This is from someone who lives in a community that has entered into an agreement with Fulani kidnappers following repeated attacks.
“The community has now entered its third year living alongside bandits. I have to protect his identity,” Buhari said on his face book page posted last week.
Buhari said the man, a married father of five, told RADi that the agreement effectively handed control of the community to the armed men.
Farmers Wives as Property of Terrorists
“His wife no longer belongs to him. The kidnappers sleep with her whenever they feel the urge, sometimes while the children watch. If he protests, he will be shot. The same thing happens to other women in the village,” he wrote.
Villagers reported that bandits leave a blanket or a stick outside a house to indicate that they intend to spend the night with a particular woman or girl, while the husband is forced to sleep outside, according to Buhari.
Residents of villages controlled by the Fulani criminal overlords live under rigid controls aimed to prevent exposure of the daily emotional trauma forced upon the village residents.
“Nobody can leave the community freely. Anyone caught attempting to escape risks being shot. Phones are forbidden. Torchlights are forbidden. New motorcycles are confiscated. New clothes are taken away. Even machetes are prohibited. The villagers are only allowed hoes and diggers for farming,” he added.
- Men Forced To Ride Bikes For Kidnappers
He said that farmers are reportedly compelled to surrender about one-quarter of their harvest to the armed groups.
“The bandits control petrol sales, control movement and dictate virtually every aspect of life. Young men are forced to accompany them on kidnapping operations by riding motorcycles while the armed men sit behind with rifles. Anyone who refuses is executed.”
Church Services Banned
According to the testimony, churches rarely hold services except when the armed groups are away, while schools and primary health care centers have effectively ceased functioning because teachers and health workers have fled.
“Sometimes they simply select someone in the community and kill the person to demonstrate what happens to anyone who disobeys,” according to the Kajuru man who returned to his occupied village.
Buhari alleged that similar arrangements now exist in more than 20 communities in Kajuru LGA, about 30 communities in neighbouring Kachia LGA and dozens more in Chikun LGA, although conditions reportedly vary from one settlement to another.
Serial Raping of Women
RADi also documented testimonies from women who said they were abducted and sexually assaulted during captivity.
The women spent between one and six months in various camps, according to Alheri Magaji, RADi cofounder.
“Rape has become a constant feature of captivity. Some women were assaulted repeatedly. Others were kidnapped together with their husbands, separated into different camps and told to submit if they wanted their husbands spared, only to discover later that the husbands had already been killed.”
She said survivors included teenage girls and elderly women.
“Among them are girls as young as fourteen and women around fifty years old. Most eventually paid ransoms ranging from one to five million naira ($750 dollars)
in addition to motorcycles, before regaining their freedom, despite enduring repeated sexual abuse.”
Magaji further alleged that two 16-year-old girls were abducted, assaulted for two days and later released without any ransom being demanded.
Carrying Pains and Trauma in Silence
He said many survivors now live in silence.
“Most return home carrying their pain quietly because they fear shame and stigmatisation. Some return pregnant because the bandits never use protection.”
One of the most heartbreaking cases, according to RADi, is that of a young woman from Kutura Station in Kajuru LGA. Buhari said she was first kidnapped in 2022 and held for three months, during which time she was repeatedly raped before being released.
After relocating to Kasuwan Magani to escape insecurity, she was allegedly kidnapped again in 2023.
“This time she spent six months in captivity. She was repeatedly raped and eventually returned home pregnant.”
He said complications forced her to carry the pregnancy to term and deliver the child.
According to Buhari, her husband later rejected both mother and child, while other relatives also turned her away.
“She is now struggling alone. The child has suffered persistent rashes and weakness for years. We hope to secure proper medical examination and treatment for the child at Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital in Kaduna, while also helping the mother rebuild her life.”
Hon. Danlami Stingo and Kajuru IDPs Chairman Ali Ado Alipiri separately confirmed that they were aware of similar accounts from affected communities and appealed for stronger security intervention and humanitarian assistance for victims.
Appeal For Assistance
According to the organisation, donations should be made to:
Sterling Bank
Account Number: 0075890039
Account Name: Resilient Aid and Dialogue Initiative (RADi)
The organisation said those wishing to verify the appeal or provide additional assistance may contact Reuben Buhari or Alheri Magaji, who can also facilitate direct contact with the survivor where appropriate.
Luka Binniyat and Mike Odeh are conflict reporters for TruthNigeria.
