Survivors of the deadly gunmen attack on Naridon village in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State have recounted the horror they witnessed during the assault which claimed 30 lives, including five siblings from the same family.

The armed attackers stormed the village in the early hours of Monday, shooting sporadically at residents. They reportedly killed dozens of people, set houses ablaze, looted food items and forced villagers to flee into nearby bushes for safety.

Although security has since been reinforced and relative calm restored, many residents said they were still afraid to return home for fear that the attackers might strike again.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed the security and intelligence agencies to track down the perpetrators.

Speaking on Tuesday during a visit by security agencies, the survivors described the attack as cruel and devastating.

One of them linked the assault to the recent killing of a herder whose body was allegedly dumped in the community.

One of the survivors, Auta Danladi, who lost his father and an uncle, said he survived only by the grace of God.

He said his parents refused to flee when the gunmen invaded the community and his father was later killed.

He said, “When I heard that the attackers were coming, I rushed out of the house. There was confusion everywhere and everyone started running for safety.

“I tried all I could to persuade my father and my mother to leave, but they refused. In the end, my father was killed. I quickly ran into the bush and hid.

“I saw the attackers pass close to where I was lying, but God did not allow them to see me. They burned our house and my in-law’s house as well.

“I have left everything in the hands of God. I don’t have the strength to fight, but God witnessed what they did.

“As the first son of the family, I was shattered when I learned that my father and my uncle had been killed. My father was the one I depended on for survival, but now he is gone.”

Another survivor, Alheri Joseph, said the sound of gunfire shattered the peace of the night and forced families to flee for their lives.

“We were sitting together when we suddenly heard gunshots from different directions. I escaped with my children to another village, while those who remained behind were killed.

“Why did they attack us? What is our offence? We are living in fear because we don’t know whether they will come back again. We are worried that this may not be the end.

“We are deeply pained by the death of our relatives. They were our loved ones, our friends, our parents and members of our families.

“We are calling on the government to do justice for us. Whenever such incidents happen, government officials come, make promises and later forget them. This is not just about bringing relief materials. Lives have been lost. What we need is protection,” he said.

Another resident, Blessing Luka, who lost her co-wife and other relatives in the attack, said the community had no idea why it was targeted.

“We were sleeping peacefully without knowing what was happening. I remember that about two weeks ago, a herder was killed somewhere and his body was abandoned in our village. His relatives later came to evacuate the body.

“We don’t know who killed him or what happened. We had no involvement in it, but suddenly they came and attacked us, killing our family members. This is not the first time such killings have happened here, yet nothing has been done to stop them,” she said.

The survivors appealed to security agencies and other relevant stakeholders to take decisive action to end the recurring attacks and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.

They said the community could no longer continue to live under the constant fear of losing more innocent lives.

Military warns against reprisals

General Officers Commanding 1 and 3 divisions of the Nigerian Army on Tuesday visited the attacked community and warned against reprisals.

The delegation, led by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Abubakar Wase, alongside the General Officer Commanding 3 Division and Commander of Operation Enduring Peace, Major General Maxwell Dangana, visited the affected community to assess the security situation.

At the community’s primary school, the military chiefs met with the Chairman of Kauru Local Government Council, traditional rulers, youth leaders, and grieving residents to obtain firsthand accounts of the attack and reassure them of the military’s commitment to restore peace.

Major General Dangana expressed condolences to the affected families and assured residents that security agencies were intensifying efforts to track down those responsible for the attack.

The major general urged community members to work closely with security agencies by providing timely and credible intelligence, stressing that effective security operations depend largely on information from the public.

“We are committed to ensuring that those behind this heinous attack are brought to justice,” he said, while encouraging residents to remain united and report suspicious activities without fear.

“Don’t take revenge over what had happened to you because such reprisal would not yield any positive result,” Major General Dangana said.

Chairman of Kauru Local Government Council, Bashir Tanko Dawaki, commended the military leadership for their prompt visit and concern for the affected community.

He appealed to youths to support security agencies by sharing useful intelligence and warned against shielding criminal elements based on ethnic or religious affiliations.

Also speaking, a youth leader, Ishaya Dawa, narrated that the attackers invaded the community shortly before midnight on Sunday and continued the assault into the early hours of Monday.

He described the attack as cruel, noting that Maridon had enjoyed relative peace before the incident.

CAN seeks security action

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kaduna State Chapter, said the repeated attacks on the community had become a disturbing pattern that required urgent intervention from government and security agencies.

In a statement signed by its state chairman, Rev. Caleb Bawa Ma’aji, the association said the massacre was not just another security incident but a direct attack on the sanctity of human life and the shared values of humanity.

According to the association, the perpetrators had shown complete disregard for human dignity by invading peaceful communities and killing innocent men, women, children and the elderly.

The Christian body recalled that the community had suffered similar attacks in recent times.

It said seven persons were killed in August 2025 and buried in a mass funeral following an attack on the community.

The association added that another attack in June 2026 claimed nine lives, while 11 others sustained serious injuries, with the victims also buried in a mass grave.

CAN lamented that barely weeks after the June attack, the community was again preparing for another mass burial following the latest killings of over 30 residents.

It described the recurring violence as unacceptable, noting that a community repeatedly burying its people in mass graves instead of celebrating life reflected a painful reality that demanded urgent national attention.

While acknowledging efforts by the Kaduna State Government, the Federal Government and security agencies to address insecurity, CAN said the persistent attacks showed that more decisive measures were needed.

It called for the immediate deployment of additional security personnel to Naridon village and other vulnerable communities in Kauru Local Government Area.

The association also urged security agencies to sustain military operations aimed at dismantling criminal hideouts, improve intelligence gathering and strengthen collaboration with local communities to prevent further attacks.

CAN further demanded the arrest and prosecution of all those responsible for the killings, including sponsors and collaborators, as well as the establishment of permanent security formations and rapid response mechanisms in vulnerable rural communities.

CAN also appealed for immediate humanitarian assistance, medical support and relief materials for survivors, displaced persons, widows, orphans and other affected families. (Daily Trust, but headline reworked)