Gunmen Kill 5 Siblings, 30 Others in Night Raid on Kaduna Community
By Victor Idajil
At least 30 people, including five siblings from one family, were killed in the early hours of Monday when gunmen attacked Naridon community in Kamaru Chawai Ward, Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The attack happened around 12:35am.
The slain siblings were identified as Deborah Emmanuel, Friday Emmanuel, Yusuf Emmanuel, Yunana Emmanuel and Irimiya Emmanuel. Their parents reportedly escaped and later returned to find all five children dead.
A former youth leader in the area, Comrade Friday Ango, said the assailants stormed the community with sophisticated weapons and operated for about three hours without resistance.
“They came with sophisticated weapons that the residents could not match. The people had no option but to flee. Those who could not escape were killed,” Ango said.
He said security personnel arrived after the attackers had left. No abductions were reported.
Casualty figures remain conflicting. Ango said 24 people had been confirmed dead so far. Local sources who spoke to AFP put the toll at 30, while resident Rubean James said 31 bodies had been recovered. The secretary to the village head, Dogon Rana, also told AFP that 30 corpses had been recovered and the number could rise as some injured remain in critical condition. Some people are still missing.
Photographs from the community showed burnt houses and bodies on the ground. A video clip showed women and children wailing as corpses were laid out for burial.
Community leader Yunusa Babados said the gunmen broke into homes. “In one family, they killed six children and told the parents: ‘We will spare you and kill all your children,’” he said.
Victims included women, children and the elderly.
Former Kauru LGA Chairman, Musa Waziri, who visited the area, said it was too early to confirm the cause. He noted the community shares a border with Plateau State and has a history of farmer-herder clashes that sometimes spill over.
“This is not a bandit attack. To be honest, we do not experience the kind of banditry seen in places like Zamfara or Katsina,” Waziri said.
Ango, however, rejected claims that it was a farmer-herder clash, insisting Naridon residents were attacked without provocation. “Communities in Kauru have suffered similar attacks for years and deserve better protection,” he added.
The Southern Kaduna Peoples Union, SOKAPU, condemned the killings in an open letter signed by President Engr. Tabara Samuel Kato. It urged the Kaduna Police Command to deploy mobile police and counter-terrorism units, improve intelligence gathering, and sustain patrols in vulnerable areas like Kajuru, Chikun, Kauru and Zangon Kataf.
Amnesty International also condemned the raid, calling it “perhaps one of the deadliest attacks” on Southern Kaduna villages. It said it obtained images showing “entire families locked up and slaughtered inside their bedrooms.”
The Kaduna State Government said it received the news “with deep sorrow.” In a statement by Information Commissioner Ahmed Maiyaki, Governor Uba Sani condoled with the victims’ families and directed KADSEMA to provide immediate relief. He also ordered security agencies to intensify operations to apprehend the perpetrators.
The government said it will strengthen security cooperation with Plateau State and other stakeholders along the border.
Security analyst Mohammed Ali urged the state government to invest more in intelligence gathering to prevent future attacks. He said timely information could help intercept criminal groups in Kauru, Chikun, Kajuru and Kachia LGAs, which have witnessed repeated violence.
Ali also claimed about 37 people are currently being held captive in Kachia LGA by a bandit group led by one “Yellow One Million.” The claim has not been independently verified.
The attack comes barely two weeks after governors from 19 northern states launched the Northern Nigeria Security Trust Fund in Kaduna, pledging N1 billion monthly to improve regional security coordination.
