By Douglas Bourton, USA
As 91,000 Americans recently let go from federal jobs worry about their severance this week, in balmy, leafy Kauru, Nigeria, Solomon Tanimu thanks God that he got his family back from kidnappers in time to harvest the ginger.
Kauru, a remote agricultural county in the eastern zone of Kaduna State bordering Bauchi and Plateau States, may be called Nigeria’s “flyover country,” where hardworking ginger farmers earn enough to buy cars and send their children to college.
An elder in his local Baptist Church and a tribal chief in Kusheka (KU-she-kah) village, Tanimu, a 40-year-old ginger farmer and father of five, was looking forward to rising prosperity—until his life was shattered on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025.
That night, Tanimu’s household was stormed by 14 Fulani ethnic militia wielding assault rifles. According to Tanimu, the armed men—often called “bandits”—broke into his home, abducting all eight members of his household except him before force-marching them 32 miles west to neighboring Kachia County.
“After several days of anxiety, they called me and demanded nine million naira, a recharge card worth 200,000 naira, two non-Android phones, and two motorbikes,” Tanimu told TruthNigeria.
We wanted to kill your children, but we met three of them praying in the morning that God should spare our lives so that we would repent and turn to Christ
“Their message was clear—after two weeks, all eight members of my family would be slaughtered,” he added. In the end, he paid a total of 15 million naira ($8,000) to secure their release.
Throughout the ordeal, Tanimu said he and his wife knelt in prayer every morning and night, beseeching God to preserve the lives of their children and others. “On the last day of our ordeal, after my morning prayers, the leader of the terrorists called and gave me an unforgettable message,”
“We wanted to kill your children,” the kidnapper said, “but we met three of them praying in the morning that God should spare our lives so that we would repent and turn to Christ.” That prayer, Tanimu said, so touched the gang leader that they spared his children’s lives.
More than 220 People Kidnapped, ₦136 Million ($70,000) Paid as Ransom in Kauru Between November 2024 and February 2025
Kauru County, 90 miles east of Kaduna, is a Christian-dominated area with diverse ethnic groups, including the Surubu, Bina, and Irigwe tribes. Ginger farming is the primary occupation, with Kusheka serving as a central village that showcases the region’s rich cultural mosaic.
More than 220 People Kidnapped, ₦136 Million ($70,000) Paid as Ransom in Kauru Between November 2024 and February 2025.
Speaking to TruthNigeria, community leader Jaafaru Maigini of Kusheka said Tanimu’s experience is just one of many atrocities plaguing the region. A large terrorist compound near Rijana in Chikun County serves as a torture camp for kidnap-for-ransom hostages, TruthNigeria exclusively reported on Feb. 26, 2025.
The camp was identified by eight starved survivors who emerged on Feb. 24 and were assisted by TruthNigeria’s sister organization, Equipping the Needy, to return to their homes in Kauru. Witnesses from Kauru, who asked to remain anonymous, say many captives taken from Kusheka in January are being held there.
At least 220 people have been abducted by Fulani terrorists between November 2024 and February 2025
Communities in Kauru have recently witnessed a disturbing surge in kidnappings. “At least 220 people have been abducted by Fulani terrorists between November 2024 and February 2025,” Maigini told TruthNigeria, citing data gathered from community leaders and affected individuals.
The abductions, spanning villages like Kuvoh, Ung Idi, Surubu-Da, Kusheka, Farin Gada Kusheka, Ungwa Wakili Surubu, and Bandi, were accompanied by ransom payments totaling approximately ₦136 million ($70,000). Some victims were released after payments, while others remain in captivity, according to Maigini and Tanimu.
Absence of Security Formations and Amnesty Deals Fueling a Kidnapping Epidemic
Kauru County has become a dangerous haven for terrorists operating with impunity due to the complete absence of military bases, forward operating posts, or even basic police checkpoints, locals told TruthNigeria.
The terrorists come and go as they please—kidnapping, killing, and extorting residents without any resistance
This security vacuum has left residents defenseless as organized criminal gangs exploit the lack of state presence to carry out mass kidnappings and targeted killings.
“The terrorists come and go as they please—kidnapping, killing, and extorting residents without any resistance,” Maigini said. Efforts to draw government attention have yielded promises but no action.
“We informed the county Chairman and even took our case to the Chief of Defense Staff, General Christopher Musa. They assured us action would be taken immediately, but we’ve seen no response on the ground,” he added.
Since Nigerian news outlets rely on military press releases, the lack of official announcements has kept these incidents out of the headlines, with no independent media present to interview victims’ families.
Tanimu, a tribal leader representing the Surubu people, echoed these concerns: “There is no military presence in Kauru or surrounding communities near Kusheka. This absence is the primary reason kidnappings have become so rampant.”
The Amnesty That Backfired: Did Birnin Gwari Deal Drive Terrorists into Kauru?
A controversial amnesty program spearheaded by Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani is widely blamed by locals for exacerbating Kauru’s plight. Under the deal, self-proclaimed “repentant” Fulani terrorists in Birnin Gwari, on Kaduna’s western border, were granted amnesty last December in exchange for halting activities in that region. However, this has driven criminal elements into neighboring areas like Kauru.
The decision to grant amnesty to these terrorists has directly fueled operations in Kauru
Rev. David Ayuba Azzaman, a Kaduna-based Christian cleric, told TruthNigeria that the policy has only worsened insecurity in Southern Kaduna. “The decision to grant amnesty to these terrorists has directly fueled operations in Kauru,” he said.
“They simply agreed not to kidnap or kill in Birnin Gwari anymore. Instead, they migrated into Kauru and Lere, where they continue their atrocities unchecked.”
Compounding the crisis, military offensives against terrorist camps in Katsina, Zamfara, and Sokoto have driven more criminal mercenaries into Southern Kaduna, turning areas like Kauru, Kajuru, and Kaura into havens for displaced terrorist cells.
Despite multiple warnings from community leaders and religious figures, no concrete action has addressed the lethal mix of state neglect, ill-conceived amnesty deals, and the unchecked flow of terrorists into Kauru.
