JUST IN: Gunmen Attack Kaduna Community, Kidnap Journalists, Wives, Others

Late Saturday night, bandits invaded the Dahjonu community in the Millennium City area of Chikun Local Government, Kaduna State, abducting two journalists and their families. The victims include Abdulgafar Alabelewe of The Nation and AbdulRaheem Aodu of Blueprint newspaper, along with their wives and children.

Abdulgafar Alabelewe, who serves as the chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Kaduna State Council, was taken along with his wife and two of his children. Aodu, his wife, and their sick daughter were also among those kidnapped.

Taofeeq Olayemi, a family member of one of the victims, confirmed the incident. He described the terrifying event, stating that the bandits arrived around 10:30 pm, firing shots indiscriminately before breaking into homes. “They shattered doors and windows, scaling fences to gain entry,” Olayemi recounted.

Initially, the kidnappers took Alabelewe, his wife, three children, and a girl staying with them. However, they later released the girl and one child, leaving with Alabelewe, his wife, and two children. “They first forced Aodu’s door open, abducted him and his wife, and left their sick daughter behind,” Olayemi added.

Neighbors reported that the attack was swift and violent, with bandits directly entering homes and abducting their targets. Vigilantes arrived shortly after the kidnappers had left, but it was too late to prevent the abductions.

As of the time of this report, efforts to reach the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mansir Hassan, for comments were unsuccessful as his phone line was not connecting.