Violence Erupts in Auchi as Angry Youths Torch Homes, Shops in Hausa Quarters Over Rising Kidnappings

By Tgnews Reporter

Tensions boiled over in Auchi Sacred Kingdom on Saturday when groups of youths stormed the Hausa quarters, setting homes and shops ablaze amid escalating frustration with persistent kidnapping incidents in the area.

The unrest, which broke out in parts of the town, followed weeks of mounting insecurity that residents say has made daily life unbearable.

Kidnappings have reportedly become alarmingly frequent, with ransoms demanded in the range of N100 million or more, leaving families devastated and communities on edge.

A member of the Otaru Council in Auchi Sacred Kingdom, speaking anonymously to ARISE News, painted a grim picture of the crisis. “For months now, we have been facing a lot of kidnapping issues.

Every day, there must be a report of kidnapping,” the council member said. “Once they kidnap, the ransom they ask for is from N100 million. And we cannot take it anymore.”

The violence was preceded by peaceful protests led by elderly women in the kingdom. For about a week, these women took to major roads and streets, publicly laying curses on perpetrators of the kidnappings and anyone suspected of aiding or sheltering them.

The council member described these actions as a reflection of deep-seated frustration: “Enough is enough. Kidnapping is not needed. We do not want it again in our community.”

On Saturday, the situation escalated as youths mobilized across the town. Their primary grievance centered on individuals without fixed addresses, particularly targeting Hausa residents perceived as transient.

“Any Hausa without residence is asked to leave,” the council member explained. “We want every Hausa man or woman to have a place to stay in our community, not by hanging around. Most of the Hausa boys, at night, you will see them hanging on top of bikes… So we want every Hausa man or woman to have a place to reside in so that if anything happens, we know where to go.”

In the heat of the moment, youths descended on the Hausa quarters, scattering residents and torching homes, shelters, and stores belonging to Hausa settlers. Several properties were destroyed by fire, prompting many affected residents to flee for safety.

Security forces, including the Nigerian Army, were quickly deployed to restore order and prevent further escalation.

According to the council member, however, the military intervention drew criticism from locals. “When the youth came out today to move all the Hausa that were not fully resident in this community, the Hausas went to call soldiers to back them up,” he stated. “They are backing up the Hausa… They are protecting the Hausas, not the Auchi community. Because they are stopping the women and the youth from the action they are taking.”

The council member acknowledged the army’s presence in the area but expressed disappointment that security measures had fallen short of community expectations.

“That is why the youth and the women came out en masse because they felt that the army was not doing the best of what is expected of them.”

Auchi has long been recognized for its hospitality, welcoming migrants and settlers from across Nigeria who come to live, trade, and work in the town. However, some indigenes now claim this openness has been exploited, with reports of truckloads of Hausa migrants arriving regularly and settling in various quarters.

Concerns have grown that the settler population in certain areas may be outpacing that of indigenes, fueling suspicions and heightening communal tensions.

The incident underscores the broader challenge of insecurity in Edo North, where kidnappings have strained social harmony and tested local tolerance.

Authorities have yet to issue an official statement on the Saturday unrest, but community leaders are calling for urgent interventions to address the root causes of the kidnappings and restore peace.

As investigations continue and calm returns to the affected areas, residents urge both government and security agencies to act decisively to curb the wave of abductions before further violence erupts.