Amnesty International has raised the alarm over escalating bandit attacks and kidnappings in Kaduna State’s Millennium City neighbourhood, warning that residents are living in perpetual fear amid persistent insecurity and the apparent failure of authorities to protect lives.
The international human rights organisation said armed bandits and other gunmen had intensified attacks and abductions in and around Millennium City, operating with apparent impunity and striking at different times of the day.
It warned that the persistent killings and kidnappings, coupled with the failure to bring suspected perpetrators to justice, continued to threaten residents’ fundamental right to life.
On August 19, gunmen reportedly invaded the Kyauta area of Millennium City and abducted more than a dozen people, underscoring the deteriorating security situation in the neighbourhood.
Amnesty International said abductions were increasingly occurring in broad daylight, leaving residents struggling to go about their daily activities without fear of being attacked or kidnapped.
The worsening situation has reportedly prompted some communities to organise local vigilante groups for self-defence, while other residents have begun abandoning their homes and relocating to safer areas.
The organisation expressed particular concern over the abduction of Ahmad Abubakar Zakka, his wife and their baby daughter, who were seized by gunmen during an attack on Alrahus Estate in Millennium City, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, on October 5, 2026.
A video that subsequently went viral showed the family’s abductors pointing AK-47 rifles at their heads and threatening to shoot them, highlighting the extreme danger faced by victims of kidnapping and the psychological trauma inflicted on their families.
Amnesty International said the incident reflected the alarming security conditions confronting residents, who increasingly fear that their homes and neighbourhoods offer little protection against armed attacks.
“No part of Millennium City Kaduna is safe now,” the organisation declared, describing a community where residents remain constantly apprehensive about the possibility of another attack or abduction.
It warned that the persistent insecurity was eroding residents’ sense of safety and undermining their ability to live, work and move freely within their communities.
The organisation further condemned the continued killings and abductions, stressing that the authorities’ apparent inability to halt the attacks and ensure accountability for suspected perpetrators remained a serious threat to the right to life in Kaduna State.
Amnesty International called attention to the urgent need for effective security measures to protect residents, prevent further abductions and ensure that those responsible for the attacks are brought to justice.
The organisation’s concerns add to growing fears among residents of communities affected by armed violence in Kaduna State, where repeated attacks and kidnappings have disrupted everyday life and forced some families to seek safety elsewhere.
It stressed that protecting lives, ending the cycle of abductions and ensuring accountability for human rights violations must remain urgent priorities for the relevant authorities.
