Kaduna Terror Attack Defies Peace Accord, Children Among Seven Dead

A brutal midnight assault in Southern Kaduna has shattered the fragile peace in the region, claiming seven lives including five minors, despite a controversial peace pact between the Kaduna State government and bandit leaders signed just months ago. The attack on Angwan Rimi community in Kamaru Ward, Kauru Local Government Area, has reignited debates about the effectiveness of negotiating with terrorists who have systematically targeted Christian communities for over a decade.tgnews+1

The Latest Tragedy

Heavily armed Fulani attackers struck late Sunday night into Monday, August 24, 2025, targeting the predominantly Christian Irigwe community with precision brutality. The victims, identified by the Irigwe Youth Movement, included Jacob Zakka (12), Magaret Mathias (5), Delight Paul (1), Sati Markus (9), Confidence Yakubu (15), Veronica Paul (25), and Felicia Francis (30).saharareporters+1

Eight others sustained critical gunshot wounds and machete cuts, including six-month-old Divine Paul, highlighting the attackers’ complete disregard for innocent life. Community leader Iliya Tata shared graphic evidence of the massacre with international media, underscoring the systematic nature of the violence.tgnews+1

The Failed Peace Model

The attack exposes critical flaws in Governor Uba Sani’s highly-touted “Kaduna Model” – a controversial peace initiative launched in collaboration with federal agencies. The program involved direct engagement with notorious bandit leaders including Yellow Jambros and Dogo Gide, with around 200 fighters reportedly surrendering their weapons.vanguardngr+1

However, Christian leaders have strongly criticized the amnesty arrangement, arguing that it lacks transparency and excludes victims from the peace process. Former SOKAPU President Jonathan Asake revealed that more than 2,316 square miles of fertile Christian-owned land have been forcibly occupied by Fulani militias since 2016, yet the peace deal makes no provisions for reparations to displaced communities.genocidewatch

Pattern of Targeted Violence

The Angwan Rimi attack follows a devastating pattern of religiously-motivated killings targeting Christian communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt. Just months earlier, 14 Christians including a pregnant woman and one-year-old girl were killed after a Christmas carol service in a nearby Irigwe community.persecution

Statistics reveal the staggering scale of Christian persecution in Nigeria. According to Intersociety, over 52,250 Christians have been killed in the past fourteen years, with Nigeria becoming known as “the world’s center of Christian martyrs”. The Irigwe people alone have suffered more than 2,000 deaths since 2016.globalchristianrelief+2

Social Media Outcry and Government Response

While Governor Sani has previously dismissed social media criticism as ineffective “Twitter battles,” the latest attack has sparked widespread condemnation across digital platforms. Nigerian diaspora groups have organized protests outside diplomatic missions, demanding international intervention and justice for southern Kaduna Christians.thewhistler+1

The Kaduna State Police Command, through spokesperson DSP Mansur Hassan, failed to respond to requests for confirmation, continuing a pattern of official silence that has frustrated local communities.saharareporters

Security Experts Warn of Escalation

Security analysts express concern that the peace pact may have emboldened rather than deterred criminal elements. Truth Nigeria investigations revealed that notorious terrorist leader Dogo Gide continues negotiations for his surrender terms, while displaced Christian communities receive no compensation or protection guarantees.truthnigeria

The International Christian Concern has documented how Fulani militias use systematic violence and economic sabotage to drive Christian communities from ancestral lands, describing the attacks as part of “an ongoing ethnic and religious cleansing” campaign.persecution

Call for International Intervention

Joseph Chudu Yonkpa, national publicity secretary of the Irigwe Youth Movement, urged immediate intervention from federal, state, and local governments to protect vulnerable communities. Christian organizations worldwide have called for diplomatic pressure, humanitarian aid, and increased advocacy for Nigeria’s persecuted church.saharareporters

As the death toll mounts and peace initiatives fail to protect the most vulnerable, the Angwan Rimi massacre serves as a stark reminder that sustainable peace requires justice, accountability, and genuine commitment to protecting all citizens regardless of their religious or ethnic identity. The international community’s response may determine whether Nigeria can break the cycle of violence that has claimed tens of thousands of Christian lives over the past decade.