KIDNAPPING RESURFACES IN SOUTHERN KADUNA AS ECWA HEALTH TECH STUDENT IS ABDUCTED, FREED WITH FRACTURED HANDS

By Gambo Jagindi
August 22, 2026

The specter of kidnapping and banditry has returned to Southern Kaduna after gunmen abducted a student of ECWA College of Health Technology, Kagoro from his home and released him three days later with serious injuries.

The incident has reignited fears in Jema’a Local Government Area, where communities had enjoyed relative calm over the past year.

Student Abducted in Antang Jema
The victim, Mr. Yahaya Daniel, was taken from his residence in Antang Jema on the night of August 18, 2026.

According to family sources, armed men stormed the house in the late hours and whisked him away to an unknown location.

For 72 hours, his whereabouts remained unknown, sparking panic among students, staff, and residents of the Kagoro axis.

Yahaya regained his freedom on August 21, 2026. However, he was found to have sustained fractures in both hands and was immediately admitted to hospital for treatment.

His current condition is said to be stable, but he will require weeks of medical care and rehabilitation.

Speaking after his son’s release, Mr. Daniel, the father, thanked God and well-wishers for their support.

“We are full of joy that he has returned. We thank everyone for your prayers, support, and encouragement. We pray for his fast healing,” he said.

The family appealed for continued prayers as doctors monitor his recovery.

The abduction has triggered fresh anxiety across Southern Kaduna, a region that bore the brunt of banditry and mass kidnappings between 2020 and 2023.

Traditional and community leaders in Jema’a and Kaura LGAs say the attack suggests criminal elements are regrouping.

“When students are no longer safe in their own homes, then nowhere is safe,” said a community leader in Jagindi Tasha who asked not to be named. “We are calling on government to act before this becomes another wave.”

As of press time, the Kaduna State Police Command had not issued an official statement on the incident.

Residents and civil society groups are urging the state government, security agencies, and the military to increase patrols, strengthen intelligence gathering, and support local vigilante networks in Southern Kaduna.

They also called for special protection for schools and health institutions, which have increasingly become targets for abductors seeking ransom.

The return of kidnapping comes even as the military, under Operation FANSAN YAMMA, reports gains against terrorists in other parts of the North West.

For the people of Antang Jema and Kagoro, however, the priority now is Yahaya’s recovery — and preventing the next abduction.

ECWA College of Health Technology, Kagoro is a major tertiary health institution in Southern Kaduna, training nurses, community health workers, and other health personnel for the region and beyond.

Jagindi is a public affairs analyst and digital media publisher writes from Abuja via jagindi2016@gmail.com