KAGARKO — A wave of mass displacement has struck the Kadarko community in Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State, following a daring midnight raid by armed bandits who abducted a Catholic Catechist, his pregnant wife, and over 30 other residents.
The Parish Priest of St. Joseph Catholic Church, Rev. Fr. Linus Matthew Bobai, who confirmed the harrowing incident on Thursday morning, February 12, 2026, painted a picture of a community in total collapse. He revealed that over 98% of the population has fled to neighbouring villages, leaving the once-bustling parish a ghost town.
A Midnight Harvest of Souls
According to Father Bobai, the attackers stormed the village in the late hours of Wednesday, moving systematically from house to house with chilling precision.
- The Victims: Among those snatched were the parish Catechist and his heavily pregnant wife, whose abduction has raised acute humanitarian concerns regarding the rigours of forest captivity.
- The Exodus: “The community is under tension; over 98% of people have gone to a nearby village. Those of us who remained in the village yesterday are not up to 40,” the cleric lamented.
‘Regime Security’ vs. Rural Terror
The abduction in Kagarko follows a disturbing pattern of coordinated attacks on religious figures and institutions across the North. Only 24 hours ago, seven churches were razed in Takum by gunmen identified as Fulani ethnic militia.
Critics argue that the $9 million recently spent on Washington lobbyists to “burnish” Nigeria’s image has failed to translate into safety for those on the frontlines. Former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai recently warned that the state is prioritising “Regime Security”—the protection of the elite in Abuja—over the lives of the rural poor.
Technological Injustice
The plight of the “Kadarko 30” has reignited the Electoral Act debate currently rocking the National Assembly. Protesters led by Peter Obi have questioned why bandits can successfully livestream from forests while the government claims a “lack of network” prevents electronic result transmission.
“If they can find the signal to demand ransom for a pregnant woman, why can’t INEC find a signal to protect our votes?” one activist noted, echoing the sentiment of Zekeri Idris.
Economic Strangling
The kidnapping occurs as Katsina stakeholders sound the alarm over a prostitution crisis driven by hunger and petrol prices nearing ₦1,000 per litre. With the national debt at ₦152 trillion, many families in Kagarko are reportedly “hopeless,” unable to raise the millions typically demanded for the release of captives.
As of Thursday afternoon, the Kaduna State Police Command has not issued a formal statement on the rescue efforts, even as the global community reacts to British vlogger Indigo Traveller’s report on the government’s perceived apathy toward the vulnerable.
