Kaduna Tragedy: Bandits Make Demand, Claim Young Life”
By Emmanuel Sixtus
NIGERIA | Recall that in the quiet of Sunday night, terror struck the home of Justice Janet Galadima, a judge of the Kaduna State Customary Court.
Bandits, ruthless and unyielding, invaded her residence in Kaduna State, Nigeria. Her husband, a medical doctor, was away on duty, leaving her and their four children vulnerable.
The trauma of the children and the trembling of the judge made no difference. Hardened and soulless, the bandits only smell blood and want money.
The bandits’ demands were stark: N300 million for the safe release of the captives. But when the ransom couldn’t be met, they took a life.
They embraced their illegal business that have brought anguish and death to innocent people – kidnapping. They took their prized assets and swiftly made their demands.
On Tuesday, July 2, 2024, they shot dead the judge’s 14-year-old son, Victor. The brutality of their act defies comprehension—a young life extinguished, a family shattered.
This tragedy reverberates beyond the walls of Justice Galadima’s home. It echoes the broader insecurity plaguing Nigeria. Armed groups roam freely, exploiting vulnerabilities, and civilians pay the price. The loss of Victor is a stark reminder that no one is immune to this violence.
It’s not the first, neither the second, and won’t be the last. On the pages of Nigerian newspapers, there is victory for security forces, but on ground, people still face the reality of living in hell.
It began more than a decade ago, when Boko Haram dawned on the country. The South accused the North of creating Boko Haram to frustrate former President Goodluck Jonathan Ebere.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari had threatened to make the country ungovernable, and monkey and baboons to be soaked in blood. By coincidence, the threat came to fruition, when Boko Haram’s carnage began.
The terrorist organisation did not go away after Goodluck Jonathan left office, it sustained Its onslaught against the citizens.
In what appears to be remnants of the terrorist group or entirely a new terror trade, banditry surfaced.
The bandits have no clear outline, they only strike for money. Take hostages, seize communities and dare the country’s forces.
As the nation mourns, urgent questions arise. Who are these assailants? What drives them to such heartlessness? Justice Galadima and her remaining children cling to hope, while the rest of us grapple with anger and sorrow.
The nation mourns the known, but the fate of the unknown remains uncertain. Thousands of Nigerians suffer immeasurably in the hands of the bandits terrorising the northern region of the country.
The fight against banditry has barely gathered enough momentum. Its a broken war, victory today, loss tomorrow.
But the most important demand is the safe return of the victims.
Nigerian security agencies, the Governor of Kaduna state, the Nigeria Bar Association, and the judiciary must unite. Despite the challenges, the country should push towards victory.
Justice for Victor and protection for others demand swift action. Let this tragedy propel us toward a safer, more compassionate Nigeria—one where lives are valued above all else.
