By Luka Binniyat
KADUNA, Nigeria — Fulani Ethnic Militia (FEM) laid siege to Akwando community in Kachia Local Government Area (LGA) of Southern Kaduna, killing two Christians and abducting 18 in the early morning of Wednesday, November 4, 2026, according to Resilient Aide Dialogue Initiative (RADi).
This is not the first kidnapping in the area. TruthNigeria reported the kidnapping of nine schoolchildren from Akwondo on April 26, 2026, as they were resuming school in Kachia town.
Co-founder of RADi, Reuben Buhari, who said that the victims were members of his family, wrote in a post on his Facebook page:
“Akwando village, Kachia LGA, was attacked this morning, Wednesday, November 4, 2026, at around 12:30 am, and about 18 people were kidnapped,” he said.
Victims From One Family
“Most of them are married women and children, all from my family – my cousins, their children, and their grandchildren.
Two Killed
“Two were killed,” he said.
He gave the names of those killed as:
Irimiya Galadima, male, 41, married, and Benjamin Danlami, 31, married.
Three Infants Among The Hostages
According to Reuben, those now held hostage are:
1. Usman Galadima -55 – married 2. Amina Ahmadu – 52 – female – married 3. Alice Ahmadu – 45 – female – married 4. Haske Ahmadu – 18 – female – daughter of Ahmadu 5. Magdalene Marcus – 35 – married 6. Gloria Marcus – 6 months – female 7. Lovene Ishaya – 25 – female 8. Happy Steven – 23 – female 9. Zillah Steven – 1 year – female 10. Afiniki Irimiya – 30 – married; her husband was killed 11. Jeneth Irimiya – 1 year old – their daughter 12. Laraba Irimiya – 32 – her husband was killed 13. Sim Shagari – 30 – female – married 14. Yangal Shagari – male – 3 years 15. Musa Genesis – 1 year – male 16. Miracle Genesis – 21 years – married 17. A little girl – 4 months 18. A little boy – 5 months
Buhari, who was the former Press Secretary to former Governor Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State, added that:
“You may recall that Akwando village was the site of the kidnapping of nine schoolchildren on April 26, 2026, as they travelled to school in Kachia. They regained their freedom after 36 days.
“The village has also been attacked on other occasions, resulting in several deaths,” he added without elaborating on it.
“This attack came after about five people kidnapped from Awon village on April 5 were released, having spent about six months in captivity. The others died in the camp, while one more little girl died a day after she was taken to the hospital in Kachia following her release,” he said.
The Selective Murder of Male Hostages.
In another post on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, Reuben wrote:
“On 5 April 2026, 37 worshippers were kidnapped from Ariko Village in Kachia LGA.
“On that day, 5 men were killed. Later, 12 victims escaped. 17 of the 37 died in the kidnappers’ camp, and only eight returned home 5 months later. All 8 were women and children,” he noted.
“All the males were killed,” he noted.
“On 20 April, 11 people were kidnapped from Awon Village. Six months later, 4 returned alive, and 6 died. All 4 who returned were women and children.
“No male returned alive,” he pointed out.
Deliberate Depopulation Of Males For Territorial Take Over
“This pattern is beginning to recur in several incidents: large numbers of people are kidnapped, all the men are killed, and only the women return alive.
“This is mostly seen in villages where the kidnappers had asked for an agreement (Sulhu), and the villagers refused.
“It indicates that the kidnappers deliberately kill male captives. This suggests their aim goes beyond making money — they also intend to depopulate communities by removing the men, leaving already vulnerable communities even more exposed, with only women and children. This is in preparation for territorial takeover,” he said.
Only Christian Villages Are Displaced, Occupied
Speaking to TruthNigeria on Wednesday, Ado Alipiri, Chairman of Kajuru Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), said that there is ample evidence to show that Fulani terrorists are bent on displacing the Christian communities that they have overpowered and occupied.
“The Fulani armed terrorists have chased away people from over 110 villages in Kajuru alone as of October 2026,” he said.
“They now control very large areas of land where they herd their cattle and use some of the empty villages as camps where they keep hostages,” he said.
“It has been over 4 years since I left my village, Kujeni, in Tantatu ward, and I don’t know when I will ever go back, because the Fulani are now in control,” he said.
“All the few villages that are occupied by Hausa Muslims and Fulani in Kajuru LGA are left intact with their farms. Not so with Christian villages.
“The annoying part is that the government is aware of this.”
Over 6,000 Sq. Km of Land Taken Over by Terrorists
Hon. Jonathan Asake, former President of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU), told TruthNigeria that there is a systematic takeover of Christian territories in Southern Kaduna.
“When I was the SOKAPU President, in 2022, we commissioned a surveyor of areas taken over by Fulani armed men,” he said.
“The worst affected were Kajuru, Kachia, Chikun and parts of Kagarko LGA,” he said.
“At least 245 villages had been displaced, with an estimated population of over 500,000 people,” he added.
“If you joined the lands taken by the terrorists in Niger State bordering the ones taken from Southern Kaduna, you have about 6,000 sq. km. of area.
“This is bigger than the landmass of some states in Nigeria,” he added.
“I am told that more villages have been displaced today,” he said.
“I have the list and the data,” he told TruthNigeria.
Luka Binniyat writes for TruthNigeria from Kaduna.
