At least 30 people, among them children, lost their lives in a violent attack on Naridon village, a farming community in Nigeria's northern Kaduna state, according to local residents and Amnesty International.
The assault, which took place overnight, is believed to have been carried out by suspected cattle herders amid ongoing tensions between nomadic herders and farming communities in the region.
Details of the Attack
- The attackers struck Naridon village around midnight, firing sporadically and setting homes and shops on fire.
- Local officials and residents reported recovering 30 bodies, with fears that the death toll could rise due to critically injured victims and missing persons.
- Eyewitnesses described the attack lasting about three hours, with entire families, including women and children, targeted.
Brutality and Aftermath
Amnesty International condemned the massacre, highlighting gruesome details such as families being locked inside homes before being slaughtered, with some children having their throats slit.
One community leader recounted an incident where six children from the same family were killed, with attackers threatening to spare parents only if their children were killed.
As security forces approached, the assailants fled, leaving behind some of their cattle near the village perimeter.
Context and Response
- The Kaduna state government has called on security agencies to intensify efforts to apprehend the perpetrators.
- Violence in northwest Nigeria often stems from disputes over land between farmers and nomadic herders, exacerbated by climate change impacts such as droughts.
- The Southern Kaduna Peoples' United Associations warned that escalating violence, kidnappings, and destruction of land are devastating rural communities.
- Police and military deployment has restored partial calm in the affected village.
