A resident of Ungwan Atiku community in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Mr Gideon Ezekiel, has recounted how suspected bandits killed two of his cousins and an uncle in separate attacks this year, describing the incidents as part of a worsening security crisis confronting communities in Southern Kaduna.
Speaking with LEADERSHIP following the latest attack on his community, Ezekiel said the killings underscored the persistent insecurity that residents have endured for years despite repeated appeals for government intervention.
According to him, his uncle was killed by suspected bandits while working on his farm on May 26, 2026, while his two cousins were attacked and killed on June 22, 2026.
“I lost my two cousins and my uncle to these attacks this year. Bandits killed them in desperate attacks,” he said.
Ezekiel explained that his two cousins were travelling when they were ambushed by the attackers, while his uncle was killed on his farm.
“My two cousins were attacked on the road, while my uncle was attacked on the farm. These attacks have continued for years, and many families in our communities have lost their loved ones,” he added.
He alleged that communities in the area had remained under constant threat from armed groups for more than three years, with recurring incidents of killings, kidnappings and attacks on farmlands.
According to him, residents have repeatedly appealed to security agencies, the Kachia Local Government authorities and traditional rulers to improve security in the affected communities.
“For more than three years, we have been crying for help because these attacks keep happening. We have reported these incidents to the local government authorities and traditional rulers and have also appealed for a security checkpoint at one of the major access routes used by the attackers, but nothing has been done,” he said.
Ezekiel further alleged that distress calls made to security agencies during attacks often failed to attract an immediate response, forcing residents to fend for themselves until the attackers had left.
The latest account comes amid growing concern over persistent incidents of banditry, kidnappings and attacks on farming communities across parts of Southern Kaduna, with residents continuing to call on the federal and Kaduna State governments to strengthen security deployments and protect vulnerable rural communities.
Efforts to obtain the reaction of the Kaduna State Police Command were unsuccessful. Calls and text messages sent to the command’s spokesperson, DSP Mansir Hassan, were not responded to as of the time this report was filed.
