In a harrowing discovery that has left local authorities and residents shaken, the body of a middle-aged woman was found in a forested area on the outskirts of Kaduna city late Tuesday. The woman, identified by neighbors only as “Mama Ada,” was reportedly 50 years old and had relocated to Kaduna in January after fleeing threats to her life in Delta State.
Investigations suggest she was sexually assaulted and murdered in what police are describing as a targeted and brutal attack. Pinned to her chest were two handwritten placards that read, in bold uppercase: “DEBT MUST BE PAID.”
Tooxclusive reporters were present at the local police station on an unrelated assignment when officers rushed in with preliminary reports of the killing. The grim scene, later confirmed by hospital sources, suggests the woman endured significant violence prior to her death.
“It’s the most chilling case I’ve seen this year,” one officer told us, requesting anonymity. “It wasn’t just murder — it was personal. Whoever did this wanted a message to be read loud and clear.”
A Haunting Past
Though formal records of the victim’s identity are still pending, community members in her Kaduna neighborhood recall her as quiet and deeply religious. She had told a few close acquaintances that she was running from “people who already took my Husband and Son.”
According to unofficial sources, the woman had previously lost her husband and her son under suspicious circumstances in Delta State — a case that never yielded answers or arrest.
Her sudden relocation in January raised no alarms. She kept to herself and sold herbal remedies at a small stand near the central market. Now, her death raises troubling questions: was this retaliation for a debt? A vendetta? Or a deeper conspiracy yet to unravel?
Police Investigation Underway
Authorities are treating the case as homicide with ritualistic or vendetta elements. No suspects have been publicly identified, though investigators say they are “pursuing several leads.”, as of this moment they would like to curtail rumours, so as not to spread panic in the relatively safe area
The Kaduna State Police Command is urging the public to come forward with any information and has asked residents in the Sabon Tasha axis to be extra vigilant, as the area where the woman was killed is a small village and has been known to be relatively safe.
