No fewer than 30 people have been confirmed dead following a fresh attack on Naridon Village in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
It was gathered that the attack, which occurred on Sunday night, reportedly claimed the lives of women and children and left several houses razed, plunging the community into mourning.
Two community sources, identified as Ibrahim John and Mallam Katuka, confirmed the incident in a WhatsApp message sent to SaharaReporters.
Further information obtained from residents of the affected community indicates that at least 30 bodies have so far been recovered, with fears that the death toll could rise as search and recovery efforts continue.
Photographs from the community shared by SaharaReporters show widespread destruction, including several residential buildings reduced to ashes.
The number of people injured or displaced had not been confirmed as of the time of filing this report, as details continued to emerge.
Security Breakdown In Kaduna
The latest attack in the community comes amid the heightened insecurity in many parts of Nigeria where bandits, gunmen and terrorists have carried out large-scale attacks and abductions.
Residents and community leaders have called on the Kaduna State Government, the Federal Government, and security agencies to urgently deploy additional security personnel to the area and take decisive steps to prevent further attacks.
According to SaharaReporters, at least eight abducted residents from Ariko and Awon villages in Kachia Local Government Area had died in captivity on Friday.
A journalist and former Kaduna State Government spokesperson, Reuben Buhari, disclosed that seven of the victims were among residents abducted from Ariko village, while the eighth was a newborn delivered by a woman kidnapped from neighbouring Awon village.
The victims were said to have died after spending more than three months in captivity under harsh conditions, underscoring the worsening insecurity confronting communities in Southern Kaduna.
Recurring Attacks With Failed Promises in Southern Kaduna
Kaduna State has experienced a sharp segregation along religious and ethnic lines precipitated by about a dozen outbreaks of violence.
The State has a Muslim and Christian population, with the majority who are Muslim living in the northern part, while Southern Kaduna is predominantly a Christian population.
For decades, Southern Kaduna residents have suffered attacks from unknown gunmen, in which thousands of residents have been gruesomely murdered.
Despite government reassurance and security deployment, the residents often come under attack, reportedly from Fulani herdsmen.
Between 10,000 and 20,000 people are estimated to have died in incidents across Kaduna State since 1980, a pattern of violence that peaked in 1992 and again from 2000 to 2002.
In 2011, when tensions boiled over across 10 northern states triggered by protests against the presidential election results, more than 500 people were killed in southern Kaduna alone.
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