Fear grips Kaduna’s Millennium City as kidnappers strike again

Residents of Millennium City, a residential area on the outskirts of the Kaduna metropolis, have expressed fears over their safety after repeated kidnappings and armed attacks in the neighbourhood.

For many families, nightfall has become a period of anxiety rather than rest.

Residents said they now go to bed wondering whether the sound of a passing vehicle or movement outside their gates signals another attack.

The latest incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday when armed men invaded Nuru Suraj Estate and abducted about six people, according to residents.

A resident, Kabiru Alkali, a civil servant, told PREMIUM TIMES that the attackers entered the estate through its second gate.

He said security operatives pursued them and rescued some victims, although the attackers escaped.

As of the time of filing this report, the number of people rescued and the whereabouts of the remaining victims were not established.

Millennium City is a rapidly expanding residential district in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Residents said kidnappings have become increasingly frequent and follow a pattern that has left families fearful and uncertain about the future of the community.

A community living under siege

Residents who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES, including Maryam Hassan, Rakiya Umar and AbdulMajid AbdulJabbar, described frequent attacks in several neighbourhoods in recent weeks, including Babban Saura, Osibanjo Estate, Kyauta and Danhonu.

Mr AbdulJabbar said suspected kidnappers invaded Babban Saura in early October and abducted 11 people. The attackers also reportedly targeted women in Osibanjo Estate.

He said another attack was repelled in the Kyauta area, close to a new hospital, by security operatives who engaged the suspected kidnappers in a gun battle.
In Danhonu, another part of Millennium City, resident Awwal Sani recalled the abduction of a couple and their two children.

Another resident described the attackers as heavily armed and said they sometimes arrived in a Hummer bus, accompanied by more than 50 motorcycles.

The resident alleged that the men carried sophisticated firearms and moved in large numbers.

Their accounts could not be independently verified.

A community leader, Jafaru Mamman, told PREMIUM TIMES that residents had endured persistent insecurity since September.

He said the frequency of gun battles and abductions had disrupted everyday life.

“In the last 40 days, there is no day we will not hear gunshots around the community,” Mr Mamman said.

“People are no longer safe. We sleep with our eyes open. It is a difficult moment for residents,” he said.

Mr Mamman acknowledged that security operatives had been deployed to parts of the area but said the number was inadequate to protect the neighbourhood.

“These guys come in hundreds and do their things at will. Very scary,” he said.

Some residents said the attacks may force them to abandon homes they spent years saving to build.

Security operatives engage attackers

A member of a joint security task force said he participated in repelling Tuesday’s attack.

The operative, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly, said the encounter resulted in a gun battle.

According to him, the security personnel forced the attackers to retreat after suffering casualties, although he did not provide figures that could be independently confirmed.

The latest incident came less than two weeks after the police arrested eight suspected kidnappers and four alleged informants around Millennium City and Maraban Rido.

The police also reported recovering AK-47 rifles during the operations.

Mr Mamman said residents want government officials to visit the affected communities, assess the security situation, and explain what they are doing to protect them.

Other residents called for a sustained security presence, better patrols, improved intelligence gathering and faster responses to distress calls.

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PREMIUM TIMES could not obtain an immediate response from the Kaduna State Police Command. The telephone number available to the reporter was not connecting when this report was filed.

A security police officer working in the area, however, told PREMIUM TIMES that additional security measures and patrols were being carried out.

The state government’s response to the residents’ latest complaints was not immediately available.

On social media, residents and other commentators called on the authorities to intervene and address the recurring kidnappings.

Mr Mamman warned that the location of Millennium City, with road connections to other parts of Kaduna, makes the situation a wider concern for the metropolis.

The district lies close to established neighbourhoods, such as Malali and Unguwar Rimi, where many professionals live.

Millennium City was conceived during the administration of former Governor Ahmed Makarfi to accommodate the city’s growing population through planned residential development.

Over the years, the area expanded into a large residential district, attracting homeowners, property developers and families seeking land and housing outside the more established parts of the city.

However, a land administrator in Kaduna, Aminu Ahmed, told PREMIUM TIMES that the development did not fully achieve its original planning ambitions.

He said the area was planned as an organised residential layout, but land allocation practices and the extension of development outside the original plan contributed to a less coordinated growth.

According to Mr Ahmed, access to land through personal connections and other informal arrangements contributed to changes that undermined the intended layout.

The administration of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai attempted to sanitise parts of the area, he said, but the process did not resolve all the challenges associated with its development.

The result is a sprawling district whose rapid residential expansion has not always been matched by the infrastructure and public services required to support its growing population.