Five feared killed in fresh Kaduna attack

A Sunday evening attack by gunmen on Unguwan Magaj community in Kauru Local Council of Kaduna State may have left four indigenes dead and 36 homes torched.

But the bravery of the youths reportedly led to the death of one the attackers and confiscation of his handset.

Useful information was said to have been retrieved from the phone that had allegedly been handed over to the police.

In a statement on Monday, the National Public Relations Officer of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU), Luka Biniyat, said: “The invaders, who came by 6:45 pm yesterday (Sunday) from behind the hills that serve as the boundary of Kaduna State and Ganawuri, Plateau State, were numbered over a 100.

“They attacked from four flanks, causing pandemonium among unsuspecting villagers as the youths tried to fend them off.”

He continued: “After about 30 minutes of violence, the following were unfortunately killed: Mrs. Hanatu Joseph, 58, mother of five children; Mrs. Sarah Sunday, 40, she left behind her husband and six children.

“The others are: Mrs. Dije Sajay, 55, married with six children; and Mr. Sunday David, 47, married with seven children. He was a retrenched civil servant.”

He noted: “The attackers targeted food stores and bans of grains, making sure they burnt as much as they could. This is to ostensibly cause starvation, especially under this lockdown from the coronavirus.

“Police and soldiers came into Unguwan Magaji only this morning (yesterday) around 9 am and saw the corpse of the dead herdsman, which they later took away.”

Besides, Biniyat said: “Early this month, Ibrahim Atiga, 42, a native of Unguwan Magaji, was killed by herdsmen on his way to the farm. He has since been buried.”

“In an unrelated development, kidnappers broke into the home of Mr. Jack Uwenke of Gbagy villa – an expansive suburb of Kaduna – and kidnapped him and his wife on April 16, 2020. Sabastine Stephen, a student of Kaura Namoda Polytechnic, was killed by the rampaging kidnappers.

“The phone number of the dead Fulani herders in the Unguwan Magaji attack is 090 3708 4640. This is for the records of the public.”

The spokesman added: “We are hereby calling on the police to take this rare lead and carry out a scrupulous forensic investigation and make their findings public. We shall keep a keen eye on this, and we call on the public to also show interest.

“So far, about 320 persons have been displaced by the attack and are in dire need of assistance.” (The Guardian)