Suspected bandits have attacked Maraban Rido community in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, abducting two daughters of a widow during a late-night raid.
The victims were identified as Deborah Edward, a former corps member who completed her National Youth Service Corps programme in December 2025, and her younger sister, Rachael Edward.
Residents said the assailants stormed the family residence on Monday night and forcefully took the two sisters away to an unknown location.
The incident occurred barely two weeks after worshippers were abducted during separate attacks on ECWA and Cherubim and Seraphim churches in Kurmin Wali community, raising fresh concerns over insecurity in the area.
Speaking with journalists on Tuesday, the distraught mother of the victims, Mrs Alice Edward, said the attackers initially abducted her daughters alongside a visitor, identified simply as Priscilla, who had slept over at the house.
According to her, the bandits later freed the visitor after the sisters pleaded with their captors, explaining that their mother was a widow and their only surviving parent.
“They released the visitor but took my two daughters away into the night,” Mrs Edward said.
Priscilla, who is currently receiving medical treatment, narrated that she was severely beaten by the attackers before being released.
She said the bandits repeatedly assaulted her with their weapons until she lost consciousness, leading them to believe she was dead.
Efforts to get a reaction from the Kaduna State Police Command were unsuccessful, as calls to the command’s spokesperson, Mansir Hassan, were not returned as of the time of filing this report.