Insecurity Forces Kaduna Homeowners to Abandon Houses as Rents Soar

Repeated kidnappings and attacks in communities on the outskirts of Kaduna metropolis are forcing homeowners to abandon their properties and relocate to safer areas, triggering rising rents in the city.

Time Express reports that reports that the development is threatening the investments of low-income earners who spent years building houses in emerging residential layouts.

One of the affected residents, Yakubu Dahiru, said he relocated from Danhon II community to Malali after repeated security concerns, paying N600,000 to rent a self-contained apartment.

Dahiru said he had not returned to his house since an attack on the community last year, adding that fear had made it difficult to find tenants or anyone willing to safeguard the property.

Another resident, Saidu Hamza, said he relocated his family to Ilorin, Kwara, after an attack and had put his three-bedroom house, alongside an adjoining two-bedroom apartment, up for sale.

He said the offers received for the property were discouraging, but he could not risk leaving his family in an unsafe environment.

An estate surveyor, Umar Mohammed, said many low-income earners, including market women and people engaged in menial jobs, had invested in new layouts because land was relatively affordable.

He attributed the growing housing pressure to insecurity, which had forced some homeowners to sell their properties below expected prices or leave them unoccupied.

An estate agent, Maiunguwa Ibrahim, said the influx of residents into safer parts of Kaduna metropolis had increased demand for accommodation and pushed up rents.

Ibrahim said rents for some three-bedroom apartments along Gwamna Road had risen from between N1.2 million and N1.5 million to between N3 million and N3.5 million.

Security sources attributed the vulnerability of some new settlements to scattered housing patterns, inadequate fencing, limited security posts and their proximity to forested areas.

The concerns have been reinforced by recurring abductions in Millennium City and neighbouring communities. In a recent incident, gunmen reportedly killed a man identified as Sikiru in Baban Saura and abducted his wife, Hafsat, their 14-year-old son, Abdulsalam, and six other persons.

A family member said Hafsat and her son were still in captivity.

In another incident, a couple and their six-month-old daughter were reportedly abducted from Alrahus Estate in Millennium City on Oct. 6. The husband, Ahmed Abubakar Zakka, appealed for assistance in a viral video, alleging that the kidnappers demanded N300 million ransom.

Amnesty International Nigeria has also raised concerns over persistent threats to residents of Millennium City, saying some families had abandoned their homes while others suspended their children’s education.

Meanwhile, the Kaduna State Police Command said it had arrested 12 suspects, including eight suspected kidnappers and four alleged informants, during operations in Millennium City and Maraban Rido.

The command added that the Kaduna State Government had released three additional armoured personnel carriers to strengthen security operations in affected areas.

A security commentator, retired Capt. Abdullahi Umar, urged the government to support neighbourhood watch initiatives and strengthen collaboration among security agencies, traditional rulers and community leaders.

He said community vigilance could complement formal security operations, particularly in settlements where deployed personnel were insufficient to cover the vast areas.

The development highlights the wider socioeconomic consequences of insecurity, as residents face rising accommodation costs while their homes and investments remain abandoned.