…Community security volunteer detained by CID after family demands release for cooperating with military
Kaduna – Three Christian vigilantes from Kazim village in Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State have been in the custody of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) since Monday, February 16, 2026, raising allegations of religious persecution and raising questions about their participation in community security in Nigeria’s troubled Middle Belt region.
The detained men, Habila Yaro Umar (also known as “Yaro”), Filibus Ninio (also known as “MC Filibus”), and Augustine Tinat (also known as “Election”), are volunteer vigilante members who assisted military personnel during the counterterrorism operation on January 13, 2026. As of Ash Wednesday, February 18, 2026, they remain in custody.
1.13 Incident
According to a military statement issued by Joint Task Force Operation Enduring Peace (JTF OPEP) Acting Media and Information Officer, Col. Joshua Atu John, on January 14, 2026, troops from Sector 7 responded to reports of terrorist activity on the Josh-Kaduna road between Manchok and Jankasa.
The military reported that Fulani terrorists blocked roads and kidnapped several people, including a young woman from Kazim who was allegedly raped. In the ensuing gunfight, troops neutralized the three and rescued the victims.
Community sources said the three vigilante group members were part of a joint operation and were working alongside military personnel in accordance with established security cooperation protocols in the region.
Alleged targeting
About a month after the military operation, local residents learned that associates of the neutralized terrorists had submitted a petition to the Kaduna authorities demanding action against the vigilante group members. This is said to be due to support from the state government.
One of the community contacts claimed that the petition was coordinated by Aldo Hari, a Fulani immigrant from Bauchi who currently resides in Manchok. Community sources said Aldo Hari had previously been arrested in connection with the attack, kidnapping, kidnapping and assassination of a Catholic priest, Fr. Sylvester Okechukwu on Ash Wednesday, March 5, 2025.
A video circulating on social media shows Governor Uba Sani standing with Aldo Hari in Manchok on June 15, 2025, with the governor reportedly saying, “There are no indigenous people and no visitors, so the Fulani should be free to herd cattle while the farmers carry out their agricultural activities.”
pattern of violence
Community members have reported escalating security challenges since mid-2025, including:
– Systematic destruction of crops by cattle sent into farmland
– Multiple incidents of rape, kidnapping, and murder.
– Istifanus Stephen, a young man from First Baptist Church Kwarga who died while trying to protect a young woman from being kidnapped in a Christmas Day attack on December 25, 2025.
Five days after the January 13 incident, a public notice was circulated on social media warning that “an attack by Fulani youths is planned from tonight on Kazim village near Manchoku in Kaura LGA of Kaduna state.” The alleged attack never materialized.
Timing and international context
This detention coincides with the US Congress advancing the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Responsibility Act of 2026 (HR 7457), which specifically identifies Fulani terrorists and Miyetti Allah in connection with patterns of religious persecution in Nigeria.
Community members have questioned why vigilantes who cooperated with federal forces are currently in custody, while alleged terrorist associates have been released. They also note the irony that the immediate past Chief of Defense Staff and now Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, is from southern Kaduna.
According to reports, a meeting was held in Manchok on February 18 involving local chiefs and alleged members of Miyetti Allah from Jos, but the purpose of the meeting has not been confirmed.
official answer
At the time of writing, neither the Kaduna State Government nor the Nigeria Police Force nor military authorities had issued any statement regarding the detention of the three vigilante group members.
Local residents are demanding their immediate release, saying the detained men were fulfilling their lawful duties as community security volunteers in cooperation with federal security forces.
The situation is still evolving.
