Over 30 people killed as bandits attack Kaduna villages

Some villages in Igabi and Giwa local government areas of Kaduna
State suffered an attack by bandits over the weekend, which left at
least 30 people dead and many others injured.

Victims of the attack are reportedly residents of Kerawa, Rago,
Marina, Zariyawa, Hashimawa, Gidan Musa Saidu, and Unguwar Barau
villages.

It was alleged that the bandits launched the attack against residents
of the villages for reportedly providing information about their
activities to security operatives.

An eyewitness said;

“If you remember, few weeks ago, Policemen raided the bandits’ camp
and killed over 200 of them. Soldiers and Air Force also attacked the
bandits few days ago and they also killed many of them. So, these people
believe we are the ones giving the security operatives information
about their movement and camps. Some of the villagers who escaped from
the attackers said, the bandits were saying it in Hausa language that,
the villagers were ones reporting them to the security.

“I don’t live in any of those villages, but people often run from
some of the villages to take refuge here. The villages have actually
been suffering in the hands of the bandits for a long time. They invade
the villages and kidnap people unchallenged. That is why they became the
first suspects to the bandits.”

A villager who spoke to Hausa Service of the Voice of America in its
6:00am news bulletin, said over 50 people were killed in the attack.  He
also revealed that a plane was seen hovering above the sky at the time
of the attack.

The villager said;

“What happened was unprecedented. We have never seen such kind of
horror in our lives. These killers are Boko Haram. They stormed our
village killing indiscriminately, they spared nobody, the young, the
old, even Almajiris were not spared.

“They continued to shoot people, setting fire on the dead and on
property. It was extremely horrific!’ They went from one room to the
other, a man and his children were killed, even new born babies.

“We have over 50 dead now, we are yet to bury them. It will take hours to bury the dead.

“We are appealing to the Federal Government to please, pay attention
to the situation in Igabi Local Government Area, especially Igabi west.
President Buhari should come to our rescue. Please deploy security
agents that can do this work, those earlier stationed here never stayed.

“We all must die one day and returned to Almighty Allah, even the
bandits were saying so. Therefore, the government should fear Allah. We
are in a terrible situation.

“If we start this funeral now, we will not finish till midnight. We
saw a plane, but it just passed like it was flying to Makkah.”

“These killers are not just bandits, they are Boko Haram, they did
not steal anything, they just killed and burnt peoples’ belongings.”

The Nigerian Army and Air Force subsequently launched offensive
attacks against the bandits after the incident, and reportedly killed
many of them.