The attacks and counter attacks in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State appear unending as gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen were said to have again attacked two villages, killing over 100 people and burning over 30 houses Monday morning.

A source from Dogo Noma told Daily Independent that the gunmen attacked Ikirimi village as well as Iri, Dogon Noma in Ungwar Gamo in Kajuru.

The source said he was from Dogon Noma but was based in Kaduna metropolis.

According to him, they got the news of the attack about 8.30a.m on Monday and rushed there about 10a.m.

He said, however, that before he got there the attackers had wreaked havoc and escaped.

He said by the time he got there, “some of the survivors had carried some of the corpses and put them on the road for government to see”.

He added that he was among those who helped 16 injured persons to a hospital. Some men, he said, were taken to St. Gerald Hospital.

“By the time I left the village, 27 people were injured but they could be more because some ran into the bush for safety.

“But I learnt that the invaders pursued them into the bush. Some of the injured were taking shelter at Mararaba Police Division.”

According to the source, his brother and wife were missing. “When I called the phone of my brother’s wife, Mrs. Lydia David, a Fulani voice answered and said, ‘the owner of this line has been killed’.

“They also killed my step mother, Mama Wasa. When I called my brother, his line was switched off. He may have been killed because we have not heard from him as I am talking to you.”

He said he was told that the invaders entered the village about 7.30a.m shooting at people and burning houses.

They told me that some carried jerry cans of fuel with cutlasses, while some carried guns.

The Kaduna State government, through its spokesperson, Samuel Arunwan, has sympathised with the people of the area, while also assuring the people of their safety as security officials had been deployed to secure the area.

Speaking with the Police Public Relations Officer, Kaduna Command, Yakubu Sabo, on the incident, he confirmed to newsmen that there was an attack Monday morning.

According to him, “There was an attack yesterday (Sunday) morning around 7:30am, and we received some information that some armed bandits had entered one village called Barde, around Maro, in Kajuru Local Government Area and they started shooting sporadically which resulted to the death of about 16 persons.

“Immediately we received the distress call, the command mobilised teams of operatives within the reach of the area, which was led by the DPO of Kajuru, alongside teams of military personnel which had also been deployed from the army.

“The police have been there since as far as Barde and Maro side, and they have been well fortified with both the police and military personnel.

“However, I am not in receipt of news of escalation of that incident, because police have been deployed there and they have tried to bring in normalcy.

“The thing is that sometimes when this type of attack occurs, as we know, it seems to be some type of reprisal of incidents that happened some weeks ago, and there is that tendency for panic and fear to set in and spread to other villages.”

On today’s attack, the PPRO said: “Let me get the facts and I will get back to you, please. For that of yesterday, you can authoritatively confirm from me. We cannot give you information based on hearsay.”

He did not get back to our correspondent as at press time.

•Excerpted from a Daily Independent report

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