By Usman Kabiru, Kaduna

No fewer than 30 people, including women and children, have been killed following a brutal attack by suspected armed bandits on Naridon village in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The assailants reportedly stormed the community in the late hours of Sunday and unleashed terror on residents, shooting indiscriminately and setting houses ablaze in one of the deadliest attacks recorded in the area in recent months.

Residents said the attackers invaded the village shortly before midnight, catching many inhabitants off guard as they slept. The gunmen were said to have moved from house to house, opening fire on fleeing residents and burning several homes.

Secretary to the village head, Dogon Rana, disclosed that at least 30 persons lost their lives during the attack, while several others sustained varying degrees of injuries.

According to him, eight children were among those killed, while four other residents suffered injuries and are currently receiving medical attention.

Rana described the incident as devastating, noting that the attackers operated for several hours without resistance before fleeing the community.

Another resident and youth leader, Ishaya Dawa, said the attackers carried out the assault with extreme brutality, alleging that some victims were slaughtered during the invasion.

He explained that the death toll could rise as efforts were still ongoing to account for missing residents and recover bodies from affected areas of the village.

“The victims include women, children and elderly members of the community. The attackers showed no mercy as they shot at people and set houses on fire before escaping,” Dawa said.

He added that several corpses had already been evacuated to a nearby mortuary, while many survivors were left traumatised by the incident.

Residents further lamented that security personnel arrived in the community several hours after the attackers had fled, a development that has continued to fuel concerns over the vulnerability of rural communities to recurring attacks.

The latest assault highlights the persistent security challenges facing parts of Kaduna State and the wider North-West region, where armed bandit groups have repeatedly targeted villages, resulting in the loss of lives, displacement of residents and destruction of property.

Over the years, communities across Kaduna and neighbouring states have experienced frequent attacks involving killings, kidnappings and arson, despite ongoing military and security operations aimed at restoring peace in the region.

As of the time of filing this report, no group had claimed responsibility for the attack.

When contacted, the spokesperson of the Kaduna State Police Command, DSP Mansur Hassan, said the command was compiling details of the incident and would issue an official statement in due course.

The attack has once again renewed calls for stronger security measures and enhanced intelligence gathering to protect vulnerable communities from the activities of armed criminal groups operating across the region.