Residents of Ungwan Ate in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State staged a protest on Wednesday against the incessant attacks and kidnappings by terrorists that have left their community in fear.
The demonstrators blocked the Ungwan Ate–Ungwan Mission road along the Kaduna-Kachia highway, demanding urgent intervention from the federal and Kaduna state governments as well as security agencies to curb the escalating insecurity.
One of the protesters, Mathew Yakubu, decried the worsening situation, stating that gunmen invaded the community on Tuesday night and operated freely for over two hours, abducting one resident.
“We are not safe anymore. These bandits strike at will, and we have been left to our fate. The government and security agencies need to act fast before more lives are lost,” Yakubu lamented.
The protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as:
The Kaduna government says it has made peace with the bandits, but we are being killed every day in Kachia.
Uncountable souls are in the bush suffering for offenses they know nothing about.
We cannot go to farms, as the majority of us depend on farming.
We can no longer sleep with our eyes closed. Who is killing us?
The unrest in Ungwan Ate is part of a broader wave of violence affecting neighboring communities, including Gadanji, Ungwan Wage, Ungwan Alhaji, Agunu Dutse, Maro, and Ungwan Dauje, where residents have endured persistent attacks and kidnappings.
As the security situation continues to deteriorate, the affected communities are calling for swift government intervention to prevent further loss of lives and property.