At least 30 people, including eight children, were killed when terrorists attacked Naridon Village in Kamaru Ward, Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, on Sunday night.
The attack, which occurred at about 11 pm, left several others injured and houses and businesses destroyed, sparking condemnation from the Kaduna State Government, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in the state, Usman Bawa.
Naridon, a border community between Kaduna State and Ganawuri in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, was reportedly attacked by the assailants, who shot residents indiscriminately and set houses ablaze.
The Secretary to the Village Head of Naridon, Dogon Rana, confirmed the attack to The PUNCH in a telephone interview on Monday.
He said 30 people had so far been confirmed dead, including eight children, while four others sustained critical injuries and were receiving treatment.
“We have confirmed the killing of 30 people, but we are afraid the death toll may rise because some of the injured are in critical condition,” he said.
He said the attack had devastated the community, with many families losing loved ones and property worth millions of naira 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 is a tragedy that has thrown the entire community into mourning,” he said.
Rana added that his house was among those razed, while several shops and other buildings were destroyed.
Another resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said 22 members of the Rana family alone were killed, while businesses in the community were destroyed.
The resident also alleged that the attack lasted for about three hours without intervention from security personnel stationed in Kamaru and Ungwan Magaji, which he said was less than two kilometres from the community.
“As we speak, only one military officer and four mobile police officers are deployed to the community,” he said.
Rana blamed the high casualty figure partly on the lack of a motorable access road, saying the poor road had delayed emergency response and made it difficult for residents to escape.
“There is no accessible road to our community. If our road had been motorable, the casualty figure would not have been this high because help would have reached us on time and many people could have escaped,” he said.
He appealed to the Federal and Kaduna State governments to deploy more security personnel to the area and construct an access road to the community.
Reacting to the attack, Governor Uba Sani described the incident as tragic and directed security agencies to intensify operations to apprehend and prosecute the perpetrators.
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 work with the Plateau State Government, security agencies, traditional institutions and other stakeholders to strengthen security cooperation and protect communities along the Kaduna–Plateau border.
The PDP governorship candidate, Bawa, described 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 comprehensive investigation, the arrest and prosecution of those responsible, and urgent humanitarian assistance for survivors, injured victims and displaced families.
Former Vice-President Atiku, who is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, also condemned the killings, describing them as evidence of the Federal Government’s failure to protect citizens.
“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, arguing that routine condemnations after attacks were no longer sufficient.
Atiku called for intelligence-driven operations, the swift prosecution of perpetrators and proactive measures to prevent attacks on vulnerable communities.
He also urged security agencies to remain vigilant as political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections intensify.
“The people of Southern Kaduna and, indeed, all Nigerians, do not need letters of praise from foreign capitals. They need security,” he said.
Atiku was apparently referring to the Tinubu administration’s reported claim of receiving a letter of commendation from the United States over Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts.
The latest attack has renewed concerns over the security situation in Southern Kaduna and communities along the Kaduna–Plateau border, where residents have suffered repeated killings, kidnappings, displacement and destruction of property.
Despite repeated security operations, communities in Kauru and neighbouring parts of Plateau State continue to face attacks linked to armed groups, communal violence and disputes over land, farming and grazing rights.
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