Bandits on Monday night stormed the Madira community in Kaura Namoda Local Council of Zamfara State, killing several residents, abducting a good number of others, and setting homes and security posts ablaze.

The attack was confirmed in a post yesterday by a security analyst, Bakatsine, via his handle on X (formerly Twitter). According to Bakatsine, the assailants stormed the village in large numbers in the cover of darkness.

“Last night, bandits invaded the Madira community in Kaura Namoda LGA, Zamfara State. They killed several people, injured many, abducted many people and set houses and security posts ablaze,” he wrote.

Security authorities in Zamfara are yet to issue a formal statement on the incident.
But the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has raised concerns over national security, religious freedom, and institutional discrimination during a strategic meeting with the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu.

The high-level engagement, held at the NSA’s office in Abuja, was also attended by the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, and his National Intelligence Agency (NIA) counterpart, Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed.

In a 14-point communique, signed by Chairman of CAN in the 19 northern states, Rev. John Joseph Hayab, and Secretary-General, Bishop Mohammed Naga, the association lauded the NSA’s openness to dialogue, but warned that the ongoing wave of insecurity, marginalisation, and systemic bias against Christians in Northern Nigeria pose a serious threat to the country’s fragile peace.

The communique pointed to inflammatory sermons by some clerics as a key driver of ethno-religious conflicts, urging immediate sensitisation and regulation of religious preaching across all faiths.

CAN also condemned the growing misuse of social media platforms to spread fake news and incite violence, imploring the Federal Government to empower security agencies with advanced digital tracking tools to identify and prosecute perpetrators.

The Christian body expressed grave concern over the increasing number of internally displaced persons (IDPs), warning that failure to resettle and rehabilitate victims of violent attacks was entrenching a dangerous cycle of trauma and retribution.

It commended President Bola Tinubu for establishing the National Commission for Almajiris and Out-of-School Children, but urged that its mandate should be expanded to include rehabilitation, conventional education, and adoption initiatives.

On the reintegration of ex-Boko Haram militants, CAN said current processes were flawed, noting that some reintegrated fighters have turned into threats in host communities.

The group insisted on robust de-radicalisation protocols before reintegration. Equally troubling, CAN said, are the denial of access to land for building churches, discrimination in appointments, admissions into tertiary institutions, and forceful conversions of underage Christian girls under the guise of marriage.

These acts, the leaders warned, are eroding national trust and violating constitutional guarantees of freedom of religion and association. They called on the government to investigate and address these violations, warning that silence or inaction could escalate religious tensions.

To foster enduring peace, the Christian leaders proposed the establishment of a North-wide interfaith stakeholders’ forum, involving respected Muslim and Christian leaders to jointly develop strategies for peaceful coexistence.