Kaduna village massacre claims 30, homes burnt

At least 30 people, including eight children, were killed after suspected terrorists attacked Naridon village in Kamaru Ward, Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, late on Sunday, leaving several others injured and razing homes and businesses.

The attack, which occurred around 11 pm, targeted the border community between Kaduna State and Ganawuri in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State. Witnesses said the gunmen opened fire indiscriminately before setting houses ablaze.

The Secretary to the Village Head of Naridon, Dogon Rana, confirmed the incident on Monday, saying 30 people had been confirmed dead, while four others sustained critical injuries and were 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,” he said.

Rana described the attack as devastating, saying many families lost loved ones and property worth millions of naira.

“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 said.

He added that his own house was among those destroyed, alongside several shops and other buildings.

Another resident, who requested anonymity for security reasons, claimed that 22 members of the Rana family were killed in the attack. The resident also alleged that the assailants operated for about three hours without intervention from security personnel stationed in nearby Kamaru and Ungwan Magaji, less than two kilometres away.

The resident further claimed that only one soldier and four mobile police officers were currently deployed to the community.

Rana blamed the high casualty figure partly on the absence of a motorable access road, saying it delayed emergency response and hindered residents’ escape.

“There is no accessible road to our community. If the road had been motorable, help would have arrived much earlier, and many lives could have been saved,” he said.

He appealed to the Federal Government and the Kaduna State Government to deploy more security personnel to the area and urgently construct an access road.

Reacting to the attack, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani described the killings as tragic and directed security agencies to intensify efforts to apprehend and prosecute those responsible.

In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information, Ahmed Maiyaki, the governor also directed the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency to provide immediate relief materials and humanitarian assistance to affected families.

The state government said it would strengthen security collaboration with the Plateau State Government, security agencies, traditional institutions and other stakeholders to improve protection for communities along the Kaduna–Plateau border.

The Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in Kaduna State, Usman Bawa, condemned the attack as “a horrifying act of barbarity” and called for the immediate deployment of additional security personnel to Kauru and other vulnerable communities.

He also demanded a thorough investigation, the arrest and prosecution of those responsible, and urgent humanitarian support for survivors, the injured and displaced families.

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, also condemned the killings, describing them as evidence of the Federal Government’s failure to adequately protect lives and property.

“The reported killing of scores of innocent Nigerians in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State is heartbreaking and unacceptable,” Atiku said.

He urged the Federal Government to overhaul the country’s security architecture, insisting that routine condemnations after attacks were no longer enough. He called for intelligence-led operations, the swift prosecution of perpetrators and proactive measures to protect vulnerable communities.

The latest attack has renewed concerns over the worsening security situation in Southern Kaduna and communities along the Kaduna–Plateau border, where residents have repeatedly suffered killings, kidnappings, displacement and widespread destruction of property despite ongoing security operations.