Insecurity: Kaduna Millennium City turns hotspot

Millennium City, once a preferred destination for middle-class families seeking peaceful environments and homes on the outskirts of Kaduna metropolis, is recently increasingly becoming a hotspot for kidnappings, with residents living in fear of night-time attacks and some abandoning their houses for safer neighbourhoods.

The growing insecurity in the district, located in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, has raised concerns among residents, who say suspected bandits are invading their communities, breaking into homes, killing residents and abducting families with little warning.

From Kyauta and Kadaure to Danhonu II, Babban Saura and Danbushiya, residents say repeated attacks have disrupted normal life, forcing some families to relocate while others remain indoors after dark for fear of being abducted.

The latest incidents have renewed concerns about the safety of the rapidly expanding residential district, where uncompleted buildings, poorly developed areas and limited security presence are among the challenges residents say make their communities vulnerable to criminal attacks.

One of the most disturbing incidents occurred on October 6, 2026, when suspected bandits invaded Alrahus Estate in Danhonu II and abducted Ahmed Abubakar Zakka, his wife and their six-month-old daughter, Fatima. A pregnant woman was also abducted during the attack.

The family, however, regained their freedom on Thursday night, bringing relief to relatives and residents who had feared for their safety after a video surfaced online showing the couple and their infant in captivity being threatened by their abductors.

It wasn’t clear as of the time of filing this report whether ransom was paid to secure their release.

The couple and their daughter were taken to hospital, where they are receiving treatment after their release.

In the video that emerged during their captivity, Zakka was seen holding his crying daughter while a gunman pointed a firearm at him. His wife was beside him, pleading for mercy.

Speaking in Hausa, Zakka appealed to Nigerians to help secure their freedom, saying the abductors were demanding N300 million in ransom.

“Please, we are seeking assistance because they are demanding N300 million. In the name of God, we are seeking assistance,” he said.

The abduction came barely five days after another attack in Babban Saura PW, where suspected bandits reportedly killed Sikiru Shuaibu and abducted his wife, Hafsat Sikiru, their 14-year-old son, Abdulsalam, and other residents.

The attacks are among a series of security incidents that have heightened fears across Millennium City and neighbouring communities.

From a developing settlement to a kidnapping hotspot

Millennium City has undergone a remarkable transformation over the years.

Before the construction of the Makarfi City Layout Link Bridge and its approach roads, commissioned on May 26, 2008, the area was largely undeveloped. Some houses were built with mud, while residents relied on canoes to cross the river and access other parts of the city.

The construction of the bridge and subsequent revisions to Kaduna’s master plan opened the area to urban expansion, attracting property developers, investors and families seeking homes outside the busy city centre.

Today, Millennium City has several private housing estates, including Urban Shelter, Nurus-Siraj, Kagara Place, Mamadi and Ummi, alongside government-owned estates, shopping complexes and connecting roads.

The recently commissioned 300-bed Bola Ahmed Tinubu Specialist Hospital is also located in the area.

However, residents say the expansion of housing estates hasn’t been matched by adequate security infrastructure, particularly in communities farther from the main roads.

Several uncompleted buildings and abandoned estates are scattered across the district, especially in less-developed areas. Residents fear that some of these structures could provide hiding places for criminals or allow them to move around without attracting attention.

Millennium City also provides access to rural communities towards Kajuru and Kachia, parts of which have experienced banditry.

For residents, the transformation of the area into a major residential district has been accompanied by a troubling rise in fear and uncertainty.

‘We hardly sleep closed’

Ibrahim Kyauta, a resident, said people in Kyauta, Kadaure, Danhonu II, Keke and Danbushiya were worried about the frequent abductions.

“I can tell you that people residing in Danhonu II, Kyauta and Kadaure areas of Millennium City are worried because they hardly sleep with their eyes closed,” he said.

“We  sleep with only one eye closed. Anyone living in Kyauta hardly sleeps well because we are always worried. We don’t know what will happen in the middle of the night.”

Ibrahim alleged that informants within the communities were providing information to criminal groups. He also expressed concern about uncompleted buildings, which he said could provide shelter to suspected kidnappers.

He urged the government to compel property owners to complete abandoned housing projects, arguing that occupied buildings would attract more residents and increase human presence in the area.

He lamented that some residents were already leaving their homes for safer neighbourhoods.

“My neighbour left his personal house here because of fear and went to rent somewhere else. This is very unfortunate,” he said.

Another resident, Ibrahim Muhammad of Kadaure, said attacks had become a major source of anxiety.

“Hardly does a week pass without them entering a house to abduct somebody or attempting to abduct residents,” he said.

Muhammad called for security outposts in vulnerable communities and greater support for local vigilantes.

“As we speak, we have inadequate JTF personnel or local vigilantes. The vigilantes are volunteers and aren’t getting the necessary support from the government and the locals,” he said.

“It’s important that residents find a way to support these people who risk their lives to protect us while we sleep in our houses.”

He cited the case of a homeowner who, according to him, sold a property worth more than N40 million for N15 million after members of his family were abducted and he needed money for ransom.

Muhammad also recalled the killing of cattle owner Musa Danfulani during an incident in which suspected bandits rustled the deceased’s cows along Fulani Road in Kadaure.

He said the killing heightened fear, with residents returning to their homes early and avoiding movement at night.

“I recently returned home around 10pm and the community was completely deserted. Everybody had entered their house and continued to pray,” he said.

An elder in Danhonu II, Alhaji Tajudeen Ajibagde, who said he had relocated to a safer neighbourhood, urged the government to block routes allegedly used by the attackers.

“The government has been informed of the routes the bandits use to enter the area and terrorise the people. Why can it not do something about them? Are they waiting until everybody has been kidnapped?” he asked.

According to him, nobody is safe and the security agencies need to do more to protect the people in the area. 

A housewife and mother of three living in one of the estates who prefered anonymity said the attacks had eroded residents’ trust in strangers.

“I always tell my children not to open the door for anyone when we are not around. Even beggars who usually come around are no longer trusted because you can’t tell who they are or whether they are monitoring people’s movements,” she said.

“We are always praying for Allah’s protection because things have changed. There are informants everywhere “s she said 

Babban Saura attack heightened fears

The October 1 attack in Babban Saura PW  further exposed the security challenges facing communities around Millennium City.

Suspected bandits reportedly invaded three houses, killed Sikiru Shuaibu and abducted his wife, Hafsat, their 14-year-old son, Abdulsalam, and other residents. The woman and her son are still in captivity.

The local vigilante commander, Usman Adamu, said nine people were initially abducted during the attack.

“We received a distress call that bandits had entered Babban Saura PW, and so we informed soldiers who joined us. We traced them to the Eastern Bypass area and succeeded in rescuing a woman,” Adamu said.

The woman, identified as Maman Mubarak, was rescued, but her four children were among those abducted. Adamu said efforts to rescue the remaining victims were unsuccessful as the attackers escaped.

A neighbour of Sikiru, identified as Anas, said the deceased called him after the attackers arrived.

“He called me on the phone when they went to his house, but I told him to remain calm and quiet. At that time, I had also hidden my family members inside my house. But I later heard that they had shot him. It was really unfortunate,” he said.

The attack, alongside the abduction at Alrahus Estate, has reinforced residents’ fears that the criminal activity is spreading across neighbouring communities.

Residents also recalled the abduction of retired AIT and NTA photojournalist Umar Usman Iyale from his home in Danhonu II on January 5, 2026, as well as the abduction of two families in February and two people in Kyauta in August.

12 suspects arrested, rifles recovered

The Kaduna State Police Command says it has intensified operations in Millennium City and neighbouring Maraban Rido following the recent security challenges.

The command announced the arrest of 12 suspects, comprising eight suspected kidnappers and four alleged informants. It also reported the recovery of AK-47 rifles during operations conducted with other security agencies.

In a statement, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, said the arrests followed clearance operations, targeted raids and patrols.

The command said preliminary investigations indicated that two of the suspects allegedly confessed to leaking information about police operations to criminals.

It warned that the disclosure of security movements endangered personnel and residents and undermined efforts to combat crime.

The police also disclosed that the Kaduna State Government had released three additional armoured personnel carriers to strengthen operations in Millennium City and surrounding communities.

Commissioner of Police Muhammad Rabiu ordered the deployment of additional tactical personnel, operational vehicles and other resources to improve surveillance and response times.

Rabiu urged residents to report suspicious movements to the nearest police station, noting that the district was surrounded by forested areas on the outskirts of Kaduna metropolis.

We’re  disturbed- Gov’’t

The state Governor Uba Sani, sent a delegation to the communities affected recently by abductions to condole with the affected families and to assure them of government’s efforts to rescue those kidnapped.

The Chief of Staff to the governor Sani Kila gave the assurance when he visited the Millennium city alongside the commissioner for information, Ahmed Maiyaki, Commissioner for Internal Security Shuaibu SAN, and the state police commissioner Muhammad Rabiu.

Kila told residents of the Millennium city that those abducted will be released soon but cautioned people to be wary of informants around them. 

“Security is everyone’s business what is happening in Millennium city, there are human errors because many people don’t control their utterances, people speak without caution and these informants are within our midst. There is a need for prayers and preaching for those informants to stop what they are doing because it’s wrong.’ he said. 

According to him, the informants are providing information to those bad guys, saying religious leaders have a greater role to play to preach to the informants to stop their bad habits. 

“But most importantly. We all should fear our creator, we should all know that these bad habits are wrong and let’s continue to pray for God’s protection. No doubt we know that what is happening in Millennium City is very disturbing so the governor asked me to plead with you and to assure you that the government is working tirelessly with security agencies to ensure security in Millennium City and the state in general”.

Muktar Haruna Musa, the village head of Danbushiya community, also urged residents to provide timely information to security agencies, saying delayed reports could undermine efforts to prevent attacks.

More police barracks needed-  security experts

Retired Major Abubakar Adamu Muhammad, a former chief security officer to former military Head of State Ibrahim Babangida, called for more police barracks and patrol vehicles in Millennium City and neighbouring communities.

He said a stronger, permanent security presence would improve surveillance and response to emergencies.

“I think there should be an increase in police barracks around Millennium City, and there must also be more patrol vehicles in the area,” he said.

He urged residents to be security-conscious and avoid openly sharing personal information that could expose them to criminals.

“Nigerians must learn to stop talking too much just because they want to travel abroad. You see people going on social media to announce that they are travelling to Saudi Arabia, London or Cairo, or that they have just arrived from those places,” he said.

“Who needs to know that? It should be your private life.”

The retired officer also called for stronger intelligence gathering and improved efforts to trace communications between suspected kidnappers and victims’ families.

He questioned why security agencies sometimes appeared unable to track people allegedly negotiating ransom payments or communicating with abductors.

Muhammad called for stricter enforcement against those found guilty of kidnapping and related crimes, arguing that accountability was necessary to deter offenders.

The Major also faulted the way and manner recruitments are made into the army, police, DSS and other security agencies without following the rules and regulations of those agencies.

“Not until capital punishment is introduced on offenders will the problem persist in this country “ he said.

For many residents, without sustained action, they fear that more families will abandon their homes in a district that was once regarded as one of Kaduna’s promising residential areas.