By Aliyu Baba Mohammed
Armed bandits have turned several communities in Ikara Local Government Area of Kaduna State into zones of terror, attacking residents in broad daylight and forcing schools to empty as parents keep their children at home for safety.
The recent attacks came in broad daylight, around 3pm, while most people were going about their daily business. A coordinated attack hit three villages of Saya-saya, Tashar Daru and Dokatoro as gunmen attacked and opened fire on residents and passersby. Many lost their lives in what marked a dangerous shift in the bandits’ operations in the area. For years, these criminals had operated under the cover of darkness, but now they strike whenever they choose.
The situation has changed completely, they now attack at any time they wish – said Abubakar Abba Shehu, an eyewitness from Agalawa village.
He and fellow residents Idris Shehu and Alpha Garba have watched their communities along the Tudun Wada axis bordering Kano State become increasingly dangerous. Villages like Agalawa, Kwanarjali and Malikanchi now live under constant threat as bandits attack people on roads and invade homes to kill lives and steal property.
The crisis extends beyond Ikara Local government, as neighbouring Kubau Local Government Area faces the same wave of banditry, suggesting a coordinated spread of banditry across this region. The threat appears to be penetrating in from Kano State, where banditry has become rampant in areas like Shanono and Tsanyawa Local Government Areas. These criminals are now gradually pushing into the bordering villages of Kaduna State.
What makes this development particularly alarming is that these parts of Kaduna State were previously known for their peace and safety despite security issues in other parts of the state. Residents lived without fear, children attended school regularly and farmers worked their land without looking over their shoulders. That sense of security has now been shattered with something that started like a child’s play.
The sad situation has devastated even the local education of the affected areas, as Malam Sani Abdullahi teaches at UBE Primary School in Agalawa has seen his classroom population of pupils shrink as fear keeps children away.
Many children in these communities no longer come to school because of the fear of the unknown. These bad elements continue to carry out their attacks unchallenged – He said
Their efforts to destabilise school activities in the area started four years ago. In March 2021, security operatives foiled what could have been a major kidnapping or massacre when they prevented a bandits’ attempt to kidnap students at Government Science Secondary School Ikara in the early morning hours, but such interventions have become rare due to relaxation of security operations around the area.
One evening attack in Saya-saya village in 2023 showed the bandits’ brutality in harsh terms, when Muslims gathered around 8 p.m for sunset prayers known as Isha’i, gunmen burst into the village mosque. They opened fire on worshippers, killing five of them instantly. From a report by the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), seven (7) people died in total that day while others sustained various degrees of injuries. According to Malam Dan Asabe, a resident who witnessed the aftermath of the attack, described the horror of seeing family members, friends and neighbours being gunned down while praying. Since that period, the village head of Saya-saya, Abdulrahman Yusuf called on the government to establish a permanent security post in the area after the mosque attack, but his request is yet to see the light of the day after many years.
We are calling on the government and relevant authorities to take drastic measures to put a stop to the troubling security concerns in the area. Please, we need a permanent military post to secure the area day and night – Yusuf pleaded.
Intelligence gathered from residents of the affected areas indicates that the bandits operate from a base in “Dajin Jeli,” an area along the Kaduna-Kano border. From this location, they plan and launch their attacks on surrounding communities. This strategic position allows them to attack or strike the communities around the boundaries and retreat to safety.
Currently, no one in the area is immune from the terror. One Adamu Garba Aliyu, widely known as “Adamu Cash,” a respected principal (now former) of Comprehensive Secondary School Ikara, was kidnapped from his own home in Ikara town. Despite his status in the community, he was killed by his captors. Some kidnapped victims have been more fortunate, gaining release only after their families paid heavy ransoms that have left many households financially ruined.
Meanwhile, the current Local Government Chairman, Hon. Bashir Mamman Dogon-koli, has taken measures to curb the crisis by deploying a Joint Task Force combining police officers and members of the Kaduna State Vigilantes Service (KADVIS). These teams conduct operational patrols, particularly at night, in an effort to contain the robbery and prevent kidnappings. However, the patrols have not stopped many of the attacks. The bandits seem to appear to move freely and strike with impunity, adapting their tactics to avert security forces.
The Sarki of Ikara, Malam Aliyu Suleiman, has added his voice to call on the relevant authorities to take stringent action to tackle the insecurity problem head-on. He urged security agencies to intensify their efforts while also calling on residents to cooperate with security operatives to bring the situation under control. He emphasised that community intelligence is crucial to identifying and removing the criminals terrorizing the area.
We need people to cooperate with the security forces to get rid of these bad elements. If you see something fishy, say something – the traditional ruler stated
When contacted for official comment on the security situation, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Ikara, Adamu Ibrahim could not be reached despite multiple attempts.
What needs to be done…
The escalating terror attacks in Ikara and the neighbouring Kubau demand immediate and sustained action from both Kaduna and Kano state governments. This is no longer an isolated problem but a regional security crisis that requires coordinated response across state boundaries.
Security agencies must increase their presence in affected communities, particularly along the Kano border where bandits operate from their stated base in Dajin Jeli. Joint operations between Kaduna and Kano security forces are essential to prevent bandits from simply crossing state lines to escape pursuit. The cross-border nature of the threat means that fragmented responses will continue to fail.
Intelligence gathering needs improvement, with better coordination between local vigilantes and formal security forces. Communities also need support to establish early warning systems that can alert residents and security forces when bandits are spotted. The Joint Task Force should expand its operations to include daytime patrols since attacks now happen at any hour.
The governors of both Kaduna and Kano states must prioritize this border region before the security crisis spreads further inland. What began in Shanono and Tsanyawa in Kano in recent times has already reached Ikara and Kubau in Kaduna. Without intervention, more local government areas will lose the peace and security they once enjoyed.
Most critically, the government must address this crisis with the urgency it deserves. Children are missing school already, farmers access their farms with fear, and the entire communities live in constant panic. These were once peaceful areas where people lived without looking over their shoulders. Restoring that sense of safety requires more than night patrols. It demands a comprehensive security strategy, adequate resources for security forces and the political will to confront banditry head-on before it becomes the new normal in northern Nigeria.
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