At least 30 people, including eight children, have been killed following a deadly attack by suspected terrorists on Naridon Village in Kamaru Ward of Kauru Local Government Area, Kaduna State.
The assailants reportedly invaded the community around 11 p.m. on Sunday, opening fire indiscriminately and setting homes ablaze in one of the deadliest recent attacks in Southern Kaduna.
The Secretary to the Village Head of Naridon, Mr. Dogon Rana, confirmed the incident in a telephone interview on Monday, describing the assault as the worst the community has ever experienced.
According to Rana, the attackers struck while some residents were still carrying out evening activities and others had gone to bed.
He said 30 people have so far been confirmed dead, including eight children, while four others sustained critical injuries and are receiving medical treatment.
“We have confirmed the killing of 30 people, but we fear the death toll could rise because some of the injured are in critical condition,” he said.
Rana described the attack as devastating, noting that several families lost multiple relatives and property worth millions of naira was destroyed.
He recounted the ordeal of one resident who reportedly lost five children in the attack, with only one surviving child currently battling for life in the hospital.
The village official also disclosed that his own house was destroyed during the assault, alongside several shops and other residential buildings, leaving many families homeless.
He attributed the high casualty figure partly to the absence of a motorable road leading to the community, saying the poor access delayed emergency response and made it difficult for residents to escape.
“If we had a good road, many lives could have been saved because help would have arrived much earlier,” Rana said.
He appealed to the Federal Government, the Kaduna State Government, and security agencies to strengthen security in the area and construct an access road to the community.
Rana warned that repeated attacks have left residents living in constant fear, adding that many can no longer sleep peacefully.
Another resident, who requested anonymity for security reasons, alleged that 22 members of the Rana family were among those killed. The resident also claimed the attack lasted for about three hours without intervention from security personnel despite the presence of military formations in nearby Kamaru and Ungwan Magaji, approximately two kilometres away.
According to the resident, only one soldier and four Mobile Police officers were deployed to the community after the attack.
