….children, infant among those held; some feared killed
…state government, military authorities maintain sealed lips
By Sanni Abdullahi
KACHIA, Kaduna State — Thirty-seven residents of Ariko village in Kachia Local Government Area have now spent 105 days in captivity after they were abducted from their churches, according to new photographs and testimony shared by community advocate, Reuben Buhari.
The images, circulated online this week, show men, women and children grouped together under guard. In several of the photos, red circles highlight minors among the group.
One image in particular has drawn widespread attention: a woman marked in a larger red circle holding an infant to her chest. According to Buhari, the child is less than a year old and has spent nearly a third of his life in captivity.
“How the mother has managed to keep her baby alive for 105 days remains a miracle,” Buhari wrote alongside the photos.
The victims were reportedly taken when gunmen attacked churches in Ariko village. Initial reports at the time put the number of those abducted at 37. But recent photographs suggest the number is no longer the same.
“All the victims are supposed to be 37 when they were picked from their churches, yet recent photographs indicate their numbers have dwindled, suggesting some have died,” Buhari stated.
The toll on those still held, especially the children, is described as severe. Aid workers and psychologists familiar with long-term hostage cases say 105 days in harsh, undisclosed conditions can lead to malnutrition, illness, and lasting trauma.
“The magnitude of psychological distress and physical hardship these minors have undergone is unimaginable,” Buhari said.
Little attention beyond the community
Buhari noted that despite the length of the ordeal, the case has received limited coverage.
“Sadly, locally at state level, only a few people talk about it,” he said. “Sadly again, these innocent Nigerians have no one to cry out for them at the global stage so that the government can do the needful.”
Kachia LGA and other parts of southern Kaduna have recorded repeated attacks and mass abductions in recent years, with victims often held for ransom in forest camps. Churches, schools and farming communities have been frequent targets.
Families of the Ariko victims say they have made repeated appeals to security agencies and government officials, but have seen little progress. They are now urging state and federal authorities to prioritize rescue operations and to engage with security forces to secure the release of those still alive.
Human rights groups and concerned Nigerians have also called for increased attention to cases involving children in captivity, arguing that prolonged detention violates both Nigerian law and international conventions on the rights of the child.
As day 105 passes, relatives say they are holding on to hope, but fear that without urgent intervention more lives could be lost.
The photograph of a mother and her infant remains the most visible reminder of a crisis that community members say the rest of the country has largely forgotten.
Kaduna State government and the Military Authorities have not made any public statement in recent time concerning their efforts at rescuing the victims.
