By Sabiu Abdullahi
Nine persons abducted by suspected bandits along the Akwando-Kachia Road in Kaduna State have regained their freedom after spending 36 days in captivity.
The victims, made up of six schoolchildren, their driver and two other adults, were kidnapped on April 26, 2026, when armed men attacked a vehicle transporting pupils from Akwando village to Kachia, the headquarters of Kachia Local Government Area.
Reports indicated that nine passengers were taken away during the attack, while a young girl lost her life in the incident.
The spokesperson of the Kuturmi Unity Development Association (KUDA), Mr. Manasseh Samuel, confirmed the release of the victims and disclosed that they returned home on Sunday.
“The victims returned home on Sunday morning after trekking for about six hours through the bush,” Samuel said.
He also appreciated individuals and groups who offered prayers and other forms of support that contributed to the victims’ release.
A former media aide to late Kaduna State Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, Mr. Reuben Buhari, also confirmed the development in a Facebook post. He stated that the victims secured their freedom on Sunday and arrived home the next morning after a lengthy journey through the bush.
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 went through a difficult and traumatic experience during their captivity and missed almost an entire school term. He, however, expressed gratitude to God for preserving their lives.
He also appealed for continued prayers for other kidnapped residents who remain in captivity, especially victims from Awon and Ariko villages.
Buhari noted that those abducted from Awon village have spent 42 days in the hands of their captors, while residents kidnapped from Ariko village have remained in captivity for 57 days.
