By Attah Ede
Six schoolchildren, their driver, and two other adults kidnapped along the Akwando-Kachia Road in Kaduna State on April 26, 2026 have finally regained their freedom.
They were released on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, after spending 36 agonizing days in the den of kidnappers.
The students were abducted by heavily armed bandits when they ambushed a vehicle transporting the students from Akwando village to their school in Kachia town.
While nine passengers were taken into the forest, a young girl tragically lost her life during the chaotic attack.
Confirming the rescue on Tuesday, the spokesman of the Kuturmi Unity Development Association (KUDA), Mr. Manasseh Samuel, explained that the survivors managed to make it back to safety over the weekend through sheer endurance.
He revealed that victims kidnapped from Awon village spent 42 days in the forest, while those captured from Ariko village were held for a grueling 57 days.
“The victims returned home on Sunday morning after trekking for about six hours through the bush,” he explained.
A former media aide to the late Kaduna State governor, Mr. Reuben Buhari, also confirmed the development on Facebook.
Samuel stated that the children endured an incredibly traumatic experience, losing almost an entire academic term while being held hostage by the gunmen.
He expressed deep gratitude to the public for the intense prayers and various contributions that ultimately secured their release.
However, Buhari warns that the security crisis in the region is far from over. He urged the public to sustain prayers for numerous other local residents who are still trapped in captivity.
