Bandits Release Schoolchildren and Others After 36 Days of Captivity

After 36 days in captivity, six schoolchildren, their driver and two other adults who were abducted by suspected bandits on the Akwando‑Kachia Road in Kaduna State have been released.

The kidnapping occurred on 26 April 2026 when a vehicle carrying schoolchildren from Akwando village to Kachia, the headquarters of Kachia local government area, was attacked. Nine passengers were taken, and a young girl reportedly died during the incident.

Mr Manasseh Samuel, spokesman for the Kuturmi Unity Development Association (KUDA), confirmed the release, saying, “The victims returned home on Sunday morning after trekking for about six hours through the bush.”

Mr Reuben Buhari, a former media aide to the late Kaduna State governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, also announced the release in a Facebook post, noting that the victims arrived home the following morning.

Buhari wrote, “Thirty‑six days after they were kidnapped while on their way to school in Kachia from Akwando village, six schoolchildren, the driver of the vehicle and two other adults regained their freedom yesterday and got home this morning after trekking for six hours in the bush.”

He added, “special gratitude to everyone for their prayers and contributions in different ways that led to their freedom.” According to Buhari, the children endured a traumatic experience and lost almost an entire academic term while in captivity but expressed gratitude to God Almighty for their lives.

Buhari called for continued prayers for other residents still held by kidnappers, particularly those abducted from Awon and Ariko villages. He noted that those from Awon village have spent 42 days in captivity, while those from Ariko village have spent 57 days.