At least three people were killed and multiple others kidnapped, including a Catholic parish priest, during a deadly early-morning attack in Kauru Local Government Area, Kaduna State, on 9 February 2026, authorities confirmed. The raid targeted both residential homes and the St. Theresa Catholic Church compound in Ungwan Rimi, a rural community within Kauru district.
Residents described the assailants arriving before dawn on motorcycles and pickup trucks, opening fire indiscriminately on homes and villagers. Witnesses said the attackers overpowered the local security post in Ungwan Rimi and abducted several community members, including Father Matthew Nuhu, the parish priest of St. Theresa Catholic Church. Authorities have withheld further details on the kidnapped victims for security reasons.
Kaduna State Police Commissioner Mr. Bala Ciroma confirmed that security forces engaged the gunmen in a brief but intense firefight. Some of the attackers were reportedly killed during the exchange, while others escaped into the surrounding forests near Gidan Doka and Zuba villages. A combined manhunt involving the Nigerian Army, mobile police units, and local vigilante groups has been launched to locate the remaining assailants and recover the kidnapped victims safely.
Governor Nasir El-Rufai condemned the attack as “cowardly and inhumane” during a press briefing in Kaduna City on 9 February 2026. He announced that additional security personnel would be deployed to Kauru, Sanga, and other high-risk districts, with intensified patrols and checkpoints aimed at preventing further incidents. The governor also called on residents to cooperate with security forces to share intelligence about possible bandit hideouts.
Church authorities expressed deep concern for the abducted priest and the safety of parishioners. The Catholic Diocese of Kaduna, led by Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, urged both federal and state governments to take urgent action to protect clergy and religious communities, emphasizing that attacks on places of worship represent a serious threat to peace and stability.
Security analysts noted that southern and central Kaduna have been frequent targets of armed gangs, with a surge in kidnappings, raids on villages, and attacks on religious institutions in recent years. The combination of forested terrain, limited local policing resources, and communal tensions has allowed armed groups to carry out coordinated assaults with relative impunity.
Residents of Ungwan Rimi and nearby villages such as Gidan Doka, Zuba, and Zuba described the scene as chaotic, with families fleeing their homes as gunfire erupted. Witnesses reported looted homes, stolen livestock, and vehicles torched during the attack. Emergency response teams arrived several hours later to tend to the wounded and assist displaced families.
Authorities are currently investigating the attack, recovering weapons left at the scene, and interviewing survivors to establish the identities of the attackers and the sequence of events. Meanwhile, local vigilante groups in Kauru have pledged to cooperate with security forces to help track down the remaining gunmen and provide intelligence on forest hideouts.
The attack underscores the ongoing security challenges in Kaduna State, particularly in rural communities and religious centers. Despite promises of increased security deployments and proactive patrols, residents fear that without sustained reforms and community-police collaboration, violent raids like the 9 February attack in Kauru will continue to threaten lives and livelihoods.
