Suspected bandits attacked a community in Kaduna State in the early hours of Thursday, killing one resident and abducting nine others, including a man’s wife and two children.

The attack took place in Babban Saura (PW), a community in Chikun Local Government Area, as Nigerians marked the country’s Independence Day.

According to a community source who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria, the attackers hit three houses in the area. They began at the home of an elderly man, where they abducted two of his children.

From there, the bandits moved to the residence of a man identified as Sikiru. They broke through his fence to get into the compound. When they entered his parlour, Sikiru tried to fight them off, struggling with some of the attackers. They shot and killed him, then took his wife and two children.

A neighbouring house was also raided. There, the attackers abducted a woman and her four children. The woman, identified as Maman Mubarak, was later rescued by soldiers and local vigilantes. Her four children remain in captivity.

Usman Adamu, commander of the local vigilantes, confirmed the incident and said nine people were taken in total. He said his team received a distress call about the attack and quickly alerted soldiers, who joined the pursuit.

“We received a distress call that bandits had entered Babban Saura PW, and so we informed soldiers who joined us,” Adamu said. “We traced them to the Eastern Bypass area and succeeded in rescuing a woman, Maman Mubarak, whose four children were among those kidnapped.”

He added that security personnel tried to rescue the remaining victims, but the attackers escaped with them. Another resident, who gave his name as Anas, said Sikiru had called him after the bandits entered the community.