•••Five Siblings among the Dead
By Joy Yesufu
No fewer than 30 people, including eight children, have been killed when suspected terrorists launched a deadly overnight attack on Naridon Village in Kamaru Ward of Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, in the latest wave of violence to hit Southern Kaduna.
The attackers reportedly stormed the community at about 11 p.m. on Sunday, opening fire indiscriminately before setting houses and shops ablaze, leaving dozens dead, several others injured and many families displaced.
The Secretary to the Village Head of Naridon, Mr. Dogon Rana, confirmed the attack describing it as one of the deadliest assaults the community has witnessed.
According to him, 30 residents have 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 fear the death toll may rise because some of the injured are in critical condition,” Rana said.
He described the attack as devastating, noting that many families lost loved ones while homes, shops and other property worth millions of naira were 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 tragedy has thrown the entire community into mourning,” he added.
Rana disclosed that his own house was among those razed during the attack.
“My 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 rendered homeless,” he said.
He blamed the high casualty figure on the absence of a motorable road linking the community, saying poor access delayed emergency response and prevented many residents from escaping.
“If we had a good road, help would have reached us much earlier, and many lives could have been saved,” he said.
The community leader appealed to the Federal Government, the Kaduna State Government and security agencies to deploy more security personnel to the area and urgently construct an access road to the community.
“We are pleading with the government not to abandon us. We need adequate security and a good road. These attacks have become too frequent, and our people can no longer sleep with both eyes closed,” he said.
Another resident, who requested anonymity for security reasons, claimed that 22 members of the Rana family were among those killed, adding that businesses and homes were destroyed during the attack.
The resident further alleged that the attackers operated for about three hours without resistance, despite the presence of military formations in Kamaru and Ungwan Magaji, located about two kilometres from the community.
“As of now, only one soldier and four Mobile Police officers have been deployed to the village,” the resident alleged.
The latest attack has heightened fears in Kauru Local Government Area, where several communities have suffered repeated attacks by armed groups in recent years, resulting in loss of lives, destruction of property and mass displacement
