30 feared dead as gunmen raid Southern Kaduna community, burn homes

No fewer than 30 persons have been reported dead in a new assault on Naridon Village in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The assault, which took place on Sunday night, is said to have led to deaths of women and children, and some houses were burnt down, causing grief in the community.

Community sources who gave their names as Ibrahim John and Mallam Katuka separately corroborated the news in messages via WhatsApp.

Inhabitants of the community have revealed that up to 30 bodies have been recovered from the scene, adding that the body count might rise as more efforts of search and rescue go on.

Pictures captured from the attacked community reveal total destruction of some houses within the community.

The number of those injured or displaced could not be immediately confirmed as of the time of filing this report, as details of the incident continued to emerge.

The latest assault has heightened concerns over the deteriorating security situation in Kauru Local Government Area and other parts of Southern Kaduna, where communities have repeatedly come under attack.

Residents and community leaders have appealed to the Kaduna State Government, the Federal Government and security agencies to urgently deploy more security personnel to the area and take decisive action to prevent further attacks.

The incident comes amid a fresh wave of killings and kidnappings across Southern Kaduna.

Recall that at least eight people from two groups of hostages abducted from Ariko and Awon villages in Kachia Local Government Area had died while in captivity.

According to journalist and former Kaduna State Government spokesman, Reuben Buhari, seven of the victims were among residents abducted from Ariko village, while the eighth was a newborn baby delivered by a woman who was kidnapped from neighbouring Awon village.

The victims were said to have died after spending more than three months in captivity under harsh conditions, highlighting the worsening insecurity facing communities across Southern Kaduna.