At least 30 people, including eight children, have been killed after suspected terrorists attacked Naridon Village in Kamaru Ward, Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The attackers reportedly invaded the community around 11 p.m. on Sunday, shooting residents, burning houses and leaving several people dead, while others were injured.
The Secretary to the Village Head of Naridon, Mr Dogon Rana, confirmed the attack to PUNCH Online in a telephone interview on Monday.
Rana described the attack as unprecedented, saying it happened while some residents were still going about their evening activities and others had gone to bed.
He said 30 people had so far been confirmed dead, including eight children, while four others sustained critical injuries and are receiving treatment.
“We have confirmed the killing of 30 people, but we are afraid the death toll may rise because some of the injured are in critical condition,” Rana said.
He said the attack had devastated the community, with families losing loved ones and property worth millions of naira destroyed.
“There is someone in this village who lost five children in one night. The only surviving child is critically injured and fighting for his life. This is a tragedy that has thrown the entire community into mourning,” he said.
Rana also said his house was among those burnt.
“My personal house was burnt down by the attackers. Several shops were also destroyed, including the house belonging to the late Mr Garba. Many families have been left homeless,” he said.
He said Naridon shares a boundary with parts of Plateau State and blamed the high death toll on the lack of a motorable road, which delayed emergency response and made escape difficult.
“There is no accessible road to our community. If our road had been motorable, the casualty figure would not have been this high because help would have reached us on time and many people could have escaped,” he said.
Rana urged the Federal Government, Kaduna State Government and security agencies to deploy more personnel and build an access road.
“We are pleading with the government not to abandon us. We need security personnel to protect our people, and we need a good road. These attacks have become too frequent, and our people can no longer sleep with their eyes closed,” he added.
The attack has raised fresh fears in Kauru, where communities have faced repeated attacks by armed groups, causing deaths, destruction and displacement.
Another resident, who asked not to be named for security reasons, claimed 22 members of the Rana family were killed and businesses destroyed.
The resident also alleged that the attack lasted about three hours without security intervention, despite military formations in Kamaru and Ungwan Magaji, about two kilometres away.
“As we speak, only one military officer and four Mobile Police officers have been deployed to the community,” the resident said.
