A journalist and editor with the popular Rariya Hausa online newspaper, Sani Ahmed, has reportedly been abducted by unknown gunmen while travelling from Abuja to Kaduna State, The Bureau News has gathered.
According to information obtained exclusively by The Bureau News, Ahmed left Abuja around 8:00 pm on Thursday to attend a programme in Kaduna. At exactly 10:00 pm, he sent out an emergency message indicating that he had been kidnapped. Since then, no further communication has been received, and his current whereabouts are still unknown.
Comrade Yahaya Abdullahi, a member of the Take-It-Back Movement who confirmed the incident, said Ahmed had mentioned earlier in the week that he would be travelling to Kaduna for the event.
“He left Abuja yesterday evening heading to Kaduna for a programme. Unfortunately, the only thing we heard from him was a message saying he had been kidnapped. Since that time till now, we haven’t heard from him,” Abdullahi told Sahara Reporters.
Growing Concerns over Abuja–Kaduna Road Security
This incident is the latest in a series of abductions along the Abuja–Kaduna expressway, a route that has become notorious for bandit attacks and kidnappings in recent years.
Only a few days earlier, five persons were killed and two others kidnapped in Kaduna State, despite the launch of Governor Uba Sani’s “Kaduna Peace Model”, which promised to deliver sustainable peace and security across the state.
Witnesses reported that the attacks occurred in multiple areas, including Giwa, Galadimawa, and Millennium City districts.
In Nasarawan Fatika (Giwa LGA), three men — Alhaji Sagir, Mallam Hassan, and Muhammad — were killed when bandits stormed the village in the early hours of Monday. According to Muhammadu Sani, a resident of Giwa, the victims were all family breadwinners, leaving behind dozens of dependants struggling to cope amidst the current economic hardship.
Later on the same day, Badamasi Sani was shot dead on his farm in Galadimawa, while several of his cattle were reportedly left with bullet wounds.
In another attack in the Keke area of Millennium City (Chikun LGA), Malam Ibrahim Danjuma was killed, while his son and another relative were kidnapped.
Danjuma’s wife sustained serious injuries and is currently receiving medical treatment.
Call for Stronger Measures
The abduction of Sani Ahmed and the renewed wave of killings have raised new questions about the effectiveness of the Kaduna Peace Model, with residents urging the government and security agencies to adopt stronger and more proactive measures.
As of the time of filing this report, The Bureau News has not received any update regarding Ahmed’s safety, and his family and colleagues continue to appeal for urgent intervention.
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