Gunmen had on Sunday night launched an attack in Malagum 1 and Sokwong communities in Gworok Chiefdom of Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State, leaving 28 people dead and many injured.
Confirming the incident, the Council Secretary of Kaura LGA, Hon. Raymond Ibrahim said the gunmen first attacked Sakwong around midnight where they killed nine people and burnt down houses and property.
“We are from the scene this morning and we saw nine corpses. From there, we went to Malagum 1, where we confirmed from the genuine source that 19 people were also killed there.”
He said the attack is coming barely five days after an attack was launched in Malagum 1 where four people were killed. While urging the residents in the area to stay calm, Hon. Ibrahim called on the government to come to the aid of their people as many of them have rendered homeless.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Muhammed Jalige did not pick the call of our reporter.
Speaking to Daily Trust on the genesis of the crisis, Mr. Kismet Kaura said a dispute started between a herdsman and a farmer who was said to be grazing around his farm in the Malagum axis, which led to the death of the farmer, Mr. Akuda and three other farmers, last week.
But according to MACBAN chairman, southern Kaduna chapter, Alhaji Abdulhamid Musa Albarka, they lost seven herders that were declared missing in the Malagum axis.
Abdulhamid said since last week’s event, seven of their Fulani herders are nowhere to be found. In a condolence letter to the communities affected, the Kaduna State government condemned the attack as inhumane, considering the efforts of government, security forces, traditional institutions and other critical stakeholders within last week.
The Kaduna State governor, Nasir Ahmad El-Rufa’i said in a statement signed by the state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan that military and security agencies reported that bandits attacked the locations, killed several citizens and burnt houses and other properties.
The statement said the governor has also directed the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to urgently provide relief materials to the communities.
According to the statement, urgent security intervention is being conducted by the Defence Headquarters Operation Safe Haven, as the Commander, also the GOC 3 Division Nigerian Army, Major General Ibrahim Ali, and Sector 7 Commander, Colonel Timothy Opurum are presently in the location.
“The Kaduna State government will make public further details on the incident as it receives feedback from the security forces”, added the statement