At least 30 people, including eight children, have been killed after suspected terrorists attacked Naridon Village in Kamaru Ward, Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, in the latest violent assault on communities in Southern Kaduna.

The attackers reportedly invaded the village at about 11 p.m. on Sunday, opening fire indiscriminately and setting homes ablaze. The attack left dozens of residents dead, while several others sustained injuries.

Village Official Confirms Casualties

The Secretary to the Village Head of Naridon, Mr Dogon Rana, confirmed the incident in a telephone interview on Monday, describing the attack as the worst the community has experienced.

According to Rana, the gunmen struck while some residents were still outside carrying out evening activities and others had already gone to bed.

“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 disclosed that four people suffered critical injuries and are currently receiving medical treatment.

Families Devastated, Homes Destroyed

Rana said the attack left the community in mourning, with many families losing relatives 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.

The village official also revealed that his own home was destroyed during the attack.

“My personal house was burnt down by the attackers. Several shops were also destroyed, including the house belonging to the late Mr Garba. Many families have been left homeless,” he added.

Poor Road Network Blamed for High Death Toll

Rana explained that Naridon shares a boundary with parts of Plateau State and attributed the high number of casualties to the lack of a motorable access road, which he said delayed emergency response efforts and made escape difficult for residents.

“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 Government, the Kaduna State Government and security agencies to deploy more security personnel to the area and urgently construct an access road.

“We are pleading with the government not to abandon us. We need security personnel to protect our people, and we need a good road. These attacks have become too frequent, and our people can no longer sleep with their eyes closed,” he said.

Residents Allege Delayed Security Response

Another resident, who requested anonymity for security reasons, alleged that 22 members of the Rana family were among those killed in the attack, while several businesses were destroyed.

The resident also claimed the assault lasted for about three hours without intervention from security personnel despite the presence of military formations in Kamaru and Ungwan Magaji, about two kilometres from the village.

“As we speak, only one military officer and four Mobile Police officers have been deployed to the community,” the resident said.

Efforts to obtain a response from the Kaduna State Police Command were unsuccessful. Calls to the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, were not answered, while a text message sent to his phone had not received a reply as of the time this report was filed.