Nothing could have prepared the people of Naridon community in Kaduna State for what unfolded shortly before midnight. By sunrise, at least 30 people were confirmed dead, homes had been reduced to ashes, dozens of residents were dead and one family’s world had collapsed. Five siblings were killed in the violence, leaving one critically injured child as the only surviving link to a family that, just hours earlier, had gone to bed expecting another ordinary Monday, GODWIN ISENYO reports

The first light of dawn on Monday revealed a village struggling to comprehend the unimaginable.

Smoke still rose from the charred remains of mud houses in Naridon, a quiet farming settlement in Kamaru Ward of Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State. Burnt mattresses, twisted roofing sheets, blackened cooking pots and melted plastic containers lay scattered across compounds that, only hours earlier, had been homes filled with laughter, family meals and hopes of another planting season.

The silence was repeatedly broken by piercing cries of grief as women wailed while neighbours dug fresh graves. Men who had spent their lives cultivating the fertile land now found themselves burying loved ones instead of preparing their farms.

Children wandered through the ruins, searching for anything that could be salvaged from homes reduced to ashes.

But perhaps the most heartbreaking scene was unfolding several kilometres away in a hospital ward.

There, the only surviving child from a family of six siblings was fighting for life.

Five brothers and sisters had been killed during the midnight attack. The lone survivor is now the only living witness to a family almost completely erased.

“It is difficult to explain this kind of pain,” a community leader said quietly. “How do you console parents who have lost almost all their children in one night?”

That question now hangs heavily over Naridon — a community that has become the latest symbol of the recurring violence that continues to haunt Southern Kaduna.

Peaceful village shattered

Naridon is typical of many rural communities in Southern Kaduna, where life revolves around farming.

Before sunrise, farmers head to their fields while women prepare meals for their families. During the school term, children attend classes before returning home to assist their parents on the farms.

Evenings are predictable. Men gather beneath large trees to discuss harvests and community affairs, while children play until darkness falls.

Sunday ended like every other day. Families retired to bed believing another routine Monday awaited them.

Instead, shortly before midnight, gunfire shattered the silence.

Residents said heavily armed men stormed the village at about 11:55 p.m., shooting indiscriminately at sleeping residents. Some escaped into nearby bushes, while others never made it out alive.

Within minutes, flames consumed homes, food stores and business premises. By the time the attackers disappeared into the darkness, dozens of villagers lay dead.

Several others sustained gunshot wounds. Entire households were wiped out—five siblings killed, while one child now fights for life.

Five siblings killed…

Among the many stories of unimaginable loss, one stands above all others.

Five children from the same family—Deborah Emmanuel, Friday Emmanuel, Yusuf Emmanuel, Yunana Emmanuel and Irimiya Emmanuel—were killed during the attack.

Their parents survived after fleeing into nearby bushes. When they returned at daybreak, they found the lifeless bodies of their children.

Community leader Yunusa Babados alleged that the attackers deliberately targeted the family.

“In one family, they killed six children and told the parents, ‘We will spare you and kill all your children,’” he said.

However, another account from community leaders indicated that one of the six children survived and is currently receiving treatment for critical injuries.

For many residents, the fate of that lone child represents both the unimaginable cruelty of the attack and the fragile hope that life can still emerge from tragedy.

‘We are counting people, not statistics’

The Secretary to the Village Head of Naridon, Mr Dogon Rana, struggled to maintain his composure while speaking with journalists.

“We are still searching,” he said, adding that “some people are injured while others are still missing.”

Then came the revelation that stunned even experienced relief workers.

“One family lost five children. Only one child survived, and that child is now struggling for life.”

As rescue efforts continued, villagers moved from house to house identifying bodies.

At least 30 residents were confirmed dead.

Among them were Geoffrey Monday, Maria Pius, Ladi Monday, Tabawa Monday, Guntu Balla, Enock Balla, Markus Gashi, Mariyamu Joseph, Maria Istifanus, Nuhu Bulus, Bulus Markus, Ayalla Markus, Monday Danladi, Kaka Umaru, Gundumi Umaru, Joy Ali, Dominion Danladi, Danladi Ibrahim, Mama Ibrahim, Deborah Emmanuel, Friday Emmanuel, Yusuf Emmanuel, Yunana Emmanuel, Irimiya Emmanuel, Pheobe Markus, Saviour Monday, Audi Musa and Sunday Yakubu.

Three other victims had yet to be formally identified when community leaders compiled the casualty list.

Every name represented another shattered family, another home left empty and another future violently interrupted.

When leader becomes victim

Unlike many leaders who merely documented the destruction, Dogon Rana became one of the victims himself.

His shop was among the properties destroyed by fire.

Years of investment disappeared within minutes.

“My own property was destroyed,” he said.

“Many houses and shops were burnt.”

Residents estimated that property worth millions of naira was lost.

Among the destroyed buildings was the residence of the late Hosea Garba, alongside several shops belonging to local traders.

For many affected families, those businesses represented their only means of livelihood.

Now they face the daunting task of rebuilding their lives from nothing.

‘If only…’

As survivors recounted the horror, one issue repeatedly surfaced—the road leading to Naridon.

Residents insisted that the deplorable condition of the access road significantly worsened the tragedy.

Community leader Yunusa Babados alleged that the attackers deliberately targeted the family.

“In one family, they killed six children and told the parents, ‘We will spare you and kill all your children,’” he said.

However, another account from community leaders indicated that one of the six children survived and is currently receiving treatment for critical injuries.

For many residents, the fate of that lone survivor now represents both the unimaginable cruelty of the attack and the fragile hope that life can still emerge from tragedy.

Three terrifying hours

According to Dogon Rana, security operatives and emergency responders could not reach the community quickly because of the poor condition of the road leading to Naridon.

“If there was a good road, security personnel could have arrived earlier,” he lamented.

Development experts have long argued that infrastructure is not only about economic growth but can also determine whether lives are saved during emergencies.

Remote communities with poor road networks are often more vulnerable because security patrols are limited and emergency responders face difficulties reaching victims quickly. For Naridon, residents believe that reality became painfully clear.

Another resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, recounted the ordeal villagers endured.

According to the resident, the attackers operated for almost three hours.

“We kept hoping help would come,” the resident recalled.

The source alleged that military formations exist in nearby Kamaru and Ungwan Magaji, but no intervention occurred before the attackers withdrew.

The resident further claimed that about 22 members of the Rana family were killed.

Although security authorities had yet to independently confirm that figure, the allegation reflected growing frustration among residents who believe rural communities remain dangerously exposed.

For many Nigerians outside Kaduna State, Naridon may appear to be another isolated tragedy.

But residents of Southern Kaduna know otherwise.

Communities across Kauru, Kajuru, Chikun and Zangon Kataf Local Government Areas have endured repeated deadly attacks over the past decade. Hundreds of people have been killed, thousands displaced, and several settlements abandoned as insecurity continues to reshape life in the region.

Tinubu, Sani react

President Bola Tinubu condemned the attack and directed security agencies to track down those responsible.

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President described the killings as an unprovoked act of terror against innocent citizens.

“I have directed the Armed Forces, police and relevant intelligence agencies to intensify operations across the affected areas to swiftly track down the perpetrators, secure the release of abducted individuals and restore normalcy to the region,” Tinubu said.

He assured Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani and residents of the state’s support from the Federal Government.

The President also pledged to strengthen security infrastructure and dismantle criminal networks threatening peace across the country.

Governor Uba Sani also condemned the killings, describing the attack as unacceptable.

In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information, Ahmed Maiyaki, the governor directed security agencies to intensify operations across the affected communities.

He equally ordered the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to displaced residents.

Beyond emergency relief, Sani pledged closer collaboration with neighbouring Plateau State, security agencies and traditional institutions to improve security around the Kaduna-Plateau border.

Reacting to the attack, the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in Kaduna State, Usman Shehu Bawa, popularly known as “Shehu ABG,” described the killings as “a horrifying act of barbarity” and said the continued bloodshed across the state had become unacceptable.

He called for a comprehensive investigation, the arrest and prosecution of those responsible, as well as urgent humanitarian support for survivors, injured victims and displaced families.

Atiku, Amnesty join condemnation

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar described the killings as heartbreaking and unacceptable.

He argued that no country could achieve meaningful development while citizens continued to lose their lives in their homes.

Atiku called for a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s security architecture and urged governments at all levels to make the protection of lives a priority.

Amnesty International also condemned the attack, describing it as one of the deadliest assaults on communities in Southern Kaduna in recent years.

The organisation said it had gathered evidence indicating that entire families were killed inside their homes.

It urged authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and ensure that those responsible were brought to justice.

The Southern Kaduna Peoples’ Union, the umbrella organisation representing the Southern Kaduna people, said the Naridon attack was another indication that existing security measures were inadequate.

In an open letter to the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, the group called for intelligence-led policing, rapid deployment of Mobile Police units, improved surveillance around farming communities and faster responses to distress calls.

The union argued that responding after attacks was no longer sufficient, insisting that communities needed preventive security measures.

Intelligence over firepower

Security analyst Mohammed Ali believes intelligence gathering remains one of Nigeria’s biggest weaknesses in tackling insecurity.

According to him, timely and reliable intelligence could help security agencies prevent attacks before they occur.

He argued that criminal groups exploit information gaps, weak surveillance and poor coordination among security agencies.

Ali identified Kauru, Kajuru, Chikun and Kachia as areas requiring sustained intelligence-led operations.

He also linked persistent attacks to financial incentives from ransom payments and cattle rustling, arguing that proceeds from criminal activities enable armed groups to acquire more sophisticated weapons.

Beyond rebuilding houses

Development specialists insist that recovery efforts in communities like Naridon must go beyond rebuilding destroyed homes.

They argue that survivors require psychological support, trauma counselling, educational assistance for children who lost parents or siblings, and long-term livelihood programmes.

Without such interventions, experts warn, the consequences of violence can leave emotional scars that persist across generations.

Children who witness killings may carry the trauma into adulthood.

Widows may suddenly become sole providers for their families.

Parents forced to bury their children may struggle for years to recover from the loss.

The burden of survival often proves as painful as the loss itself.

Region longing for lasting peace

The Naridon massacre occurred barely two weeks after the 19 Northern governors launched the Northern Nigeria Security Trust Fund in Kaduna.

The governors pledged N1bn monthly to strengthen regional security coordination and improve responses to insecurity.

The latest attack has, however, renewed questions about whether such initiatives will translate into meaningful protection for vulnerable communities.

For residents of Southern Kaduna, the issue goes beyond policy announcements and official statements. They want a visible security presence. They want accessible roads. They want timely emergency response.

Above all, they want to sleep without fear.

Waiting for justice

The names of the dead would remain etched in family histories.

The burnt compounds would stand as painful reminders of a night when peace gave way to horror.

And somewhere inside a hospital ward, one child—the lone survivor among six siblings—continues the most difficult battle of all.

Whether Naridon becomes another forgotten headline or a turning point in Nigeria’s response to rural insecurity will depend on the actions taken long after the graves have been filled.

For now, another farming community mourns. Another generation carries fresh scars.

And across Southern Kaduna, anxious residents once again wonder whether the next knock at midnight will bring help — or death. (The PUNCH)

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