At about 11pm on a recent Tuesday, residents of Kyauta, New Millennium City in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, were preparing to sleep when armed men invaded the community.
Within minutes, the quiet of the night was replaced by panic.
The attackers forced their way into a house and abducted a woman, Asma’u, and her son, Umar. Her husband reportedly escaped by hiding inside his car.
But the attack came at a heavy cost for the community.
A member of the local Joint Task Force, JTF, who joined efforts to guard the community, was shot in the head. He was rushed to Barau Dikko Specialist Hospital in Kaduna but died a few hours later.
The incident, according to residents, was not an isolated case. Rather, it has become another chapter in a growing story of fear, displacement, and loss that is affecting communities around Millennium City, including Kyauta, Babban Saura, and Danhonu.
The killing of the JTF member has deepened concerns among residents, who say they are increasingly depending on community vigilantes to protect themselves against armed attackers.
For Abu Ammar Saleh, a community leader, the greatest worry now is that people are beginning to abandon their homes.
“People are afraid after the incidents that happened in Kyauta and part of Babban Saura communities,” he said.
He recalled several attacks in the area, including the abduction and killing of a resident despite payment of ransom, cattle rustling at a Fulani settlement known as Karuga, and kidnappings in which victims were released only after ransom was paid.
He said two people were kidnapped in February 2026 and later released after ransom was paid.
“Just a few days ago, one of our vigilante members was shot dead by the bandits that attacked a resident and abducted his wife and son,” Saleh said.
The repeated attacks, he added, had forced residents to appeal to the Kaduna State Government to strengthen security in the communities.
He commended Governor Uba Sani for responding to their concerns by intervening to improve security, but urged the authorities to do more.
Residents also believe the physical environment of the communities is making it easier for criminals to operate.
Across parts of Millennium City are uncompleted houses and poorly lit streets. Some residents said the absence of adequate solar security lights leaves several areas in darkness at night, providing an advantage to attackers.
Suleiman Muazu, a resident of Millennium City, said abandoned buildings had become potential hideouts for criminals.
He also raised concerns over the alleged activities of informants who, according to him, may be providing criminals with information about residents and their movements.
“People are just moving into the area without the village head knowing who they are and where they came from. It is very important we change our way of living by ensuring we know those residing in our community,” he said.
For residents, the problem is no longer limited to isolated incidents of kidnapping. It is beginning to affect the character of the communities themselves.
“I have neighbours here who relocated from the estate here in Babban Saura. I also know another person within the area who moved out with his family and children after some residents were abducted,” a resident who simply identified himself as Bala said.
“This is unfortunate,” he said.
He claimed that about four incidents had been recorded around Babban Saura, including attacks and cattle rustling.
According to him, the situation has created an atmosphere in which residents are constantly watching their surroundings and considering whether it is safe to remain in the area.
“At the moment, as soon as you stop seeing somebody in the area and you ask, you will be told he has left, especially those living on the outskirts of Babban Saura,” he said.
For some residents, the fear has already translated into financial losses.
Maimuna Junaid sold an uncompleted three-bedroom building she had been constructing around the Keke area because of insecurity.
“I had no choice but to sell the building, not at a good price, because nobody wants to go there due to fear,” she said.
The situation is similar in neighbouring Danhonu II, where some residents have either sold their houses or moved into rented accommodation after experiencing or witnessing attacks.
A housewife who operated a provision business in Danhonu II said she left the community 17 days after her husband was kidnapped.
“We left 17 days after my husband’s abduction. We became so scared that we had to leave and my business collapsed in the area,” she said.
Her husband, Umar Usman, who regained his freedom after ransom was paid, said the family had moved into his in-laws’ house.
“For now, we are afraid of returning to our home,” he said, calling for the establishment of a police post in the area.
Elder Tajudeen Ajibade, who also left his house in Danhonu a few months ago, said residents were living under constant anxiety.
He urged the state government to respond to the concerns of residents and strengthen security in the area.
Another resident, who preferred anonymity, said: “We left our house and are now living as tenants. We are not happy.”
The consequences extend beyond individual households.
When residents leave, businesses suffer, houses are abandoned, and communities lose the informal networks that normally help to keep neighbourhoods safe.
In some areas, residents said they no longer feel comfortable moving around after dark. Others have reduced farming and commercial activities because of fear of kidnapping.
Muhammad Abubakar, a Kyauta resident, said: “We are now relying on JTF members and we don’t sleep at night at all while protecting our communities. This is why we are appealing for support from the government,” he said.
Abdullahi Yero, another Kyauta resident, urged residents not to surrender their communities to criminals, but acknowledged that government and security agencies must provide the support needed for effective community protection.
Another resident, who spoke anonymously, said three people had been killed at different locations in the area within less than three months.
“We are reminding the government to come to our aid,” he said.
The concerns are not restricted to Kyauta and Babban Saura.
In Kurmin Kaduna, another community in Igabi LGA, the Peace Revival Awareness group has written an urgent appeal to the federal and Kaduna State governments over what it described as recurring kidnapping and banditry.
The group said residents had lived in fear for several months, with armed men allegedly invading homes, farms, and highways, abducting residents, and demanding huge ransoms.
It said many families had been displaced and children were finding it increasingly difficult to go to school or farms without fear.
“Despite efforts by local vigilantes and community leaders, the scale and sophistication of these attacks have overwhelmed our capacity,” the group said.
It called for the immediate deployment of military personnel for 24-hour patrols, the establishment of a military base or outpost in Kurmin Kaduna, intensified operations against criminal hideouts, and stronger collaboration between security agencies and community leaders.
“We believe that with the presence of our gallant military personnel, normalcy can be restored and residents can once again sleep with their two eyes closed,” the group said.
Meanwhile, residents of Kyauta said the Kaduna State Government and some security agencies had visited the area to assess the situation and develop strategies to protect residents.
Community leaders have also urged developers to complete abandoned houses around Millennium City, arguing that the proliferation of uncompleted buildings has created security challenges.
They said better street lighting, improved security presence, intelligence gathering, and monitoring of new residents could help prevent further attacks.
For now, however, the latest killing and abduction have left the communities once again confronting the same question: how long can residents continue to live with fear?
The whereabouts of Asma’u and her son remained unknown as of the time of filing this report.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, who was contacted, declined to comment immediately but promised to call back after obtaining more details. He had not done so as of the time of filing this report.