Fulani Herdsmen Cut Off 15-Year-Old Girl’s Hand In Kaduna After Family Rejects Forced Marriage 

Residents of Goska community in Kaninkon Ward, Kafanchan, Jama’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State, have been thrown into shock and anger following a brutal attack on a 15-year-old girl, Endurance Sabon, whose hand was allegedly cut off by suspected Fulani herdsmen after her family rejected a marriage proposal.

 

The horrifying incident, which occurred on Friday, has once again drawn attention to the persistent insecurity in southern Kaduna, where residents continue to grapple with violent attacks, kidnappings, and allegations of forced marriages linked to armed groups operating in rural areas.

 

According to a family member who spoke with SaharaReporters, the attackers had earlier approached Endurance’s mother while she and other relatives were working on the family farm. At about 10 a.m. that day, the men reportedly emerged from nearby bushes, praising the teenage girl’s beauty and insisting that she be given to one of them in marriage.

 

The family member recounted that the girl’s mother initially thought the men were joking. However, their persistence soon became disturbing, as they repeatedly mentioned Endurance by name and spoke among themselves in their dialect.

 

“We were working on the farm from about 10 a.m. that day. My mother and my niece were together,” the source said. “Some Fulani herdsmen approached them and started telling my mother to give them the young lady’s hand in marriage, saying she was very beautiful. My mother thought they were joking at first, but they kept insisting.”

 

After completing their farm work later in the day, Endurance, her mother, and other relatives waited for a commercial motorcycle, popularly known as an okada, to take them home at about 6:30 p.m. Unknown to them, the men had allegedly been trailing their movements through the bush, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

 

“As they were walking — four of them in total — the attackers suddenly rushed them from where they had laid an ambush,” the family member explained. “The older women fell down in fear and confusion. The attackers shone a torchlight on one of them and realised she was not the girl they wanted.”

 

The attackers reportedly regrouped, searched again with the torchlight, identified Endurance, and forcefully dragged her into the forest. There, she was brutally attacked, and her hand was severely mutilated.

 

“They found the young girl, grabbed her, and dragged her into the forest,” the source said. “That was where they attacked her and inflicted a deep cut on her hand.”

 

Endurance was rushed to the General Hospital in Kafanchan, where doctors reportedly struggled to stabilise her due to the severity of her injuries. She was later referred to a private medical facility, Joyce Hospital, for emergency treatment. As her condition worsened, she was eventually referred to the Jos University Teaching Hospital for advanced care.

 

The family has appealed for urgent assistance, saying the medical costs are overwhelming and beyond their means.

 

“We need help,” the source pleaded. “She is just a child. The government should come to our aid and help with her medical bills.”

 

The family member also disclosed that five suspects had been arrested in connection with the attack, although the group that carried out the assault was said to consist of about nine men. According to the source, the suspects are not strangers to the community.

 

“Five persons were arrested. My mother knows them very well. Their houses are close to the farm,” the source said, raising concerns about the safety of the family and the possibility of reprisals.

 

The family has called on the Kaduna State Government and security agencies to ensure that justice is served and that those arrested are not released without prosecution.

 

“Those arrested should not be released,” the source insisted. “The government should compensate the victim and make sure the perpetrators are punished so that this will serve as a deterrent to others.”

 

The attack has heightened fear and anxiety among residents of Goska community, many of whom say they live in constant dread due to recurring violence, alleged forced marriage attempts, and banditry in the area. Community members argue that farmlands, which should be sources of livelihood, have increasingly become dangerous zones where attacks are carried out with little warning.

 

Adding to the family’s trauma, the source revealed that a relative from Tudun Wada was also attacked earlier this year by suspected Fulani herdsmen. His decomposed body was later found in a mutilated state, deepening the family’s sense of loss and insecurity.

 

Rights advocates and community leaders have condemned the attack, describing it as a gross violation of human rights and an act of extreme brutality against a minor. They have urged authorities to treat the case with urgency and seriousness, warning that failure to do so could further embolden perpetrators.

 

As Endurance battles for recovery in hospital, her case has become a grim symbol of the broader security crisis in parts of Kaduna State, where many families say they feel abandoned and unprotected. For residents of Goska, the hope is that this latest incident will finally prompt decisive action to restore safety, protect vulnerable communities, and ensure that justice is not only promised but delivered.