Armed bandits on Sunday killed a farmer in Kasuwar Magani, a village in the Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The victim, Baba Bala, popularly known within the community as Sarkin Daji, was reportedly ambushed and killed on his farm. Mansur Ibrahim, a resident of the area, told PREMIUM TIMES that the deceased has been buried in accordance with Islamic rites. He said the community was unsettled, with residents lamenting escalating insecurity in the LGA.
Community in Fear
“This is just one out of many incidents. Residents are calling on the authorities to prioritise the security of lives and property and put an end to the impunity of the armed groups operating in this area,” Mr Ibrahim stated. The police spokesperson for the Kaduna State Command, Mannir Hassan, could not be reached immediately for comment. Calls placed to his phone number on Monday morning failed to connect.
Pattern of Attacks
In Kajuru and some parts of the North-west, bandits routinely target farmers in their farms, enforce illegal “harvest taxes,” or kidnap labourers. The development has forced many farmers to abandon their fields, destroying rural livelihoods. The area has seen audacious assaults, including the mass abduction of over 100 worshippers from churches during Sunday services, and frequent invasion of villages where entire families are marched into the forests. While the military’s joint task forces periodically launch “clearance operations”—such as major raids dislodging camps—the vast, rugged terrain complicates security enforcement in the area.
