16 killed in Kaduna fresh attacks

Multiple attacks have claimed 16 lives in Kajuru, Igabi, Giwa and Zangon Kataf local government areas (LGAs) of Kaduna State between Monday and Tuesday, leaving many abducted and at least four injured.

This is despite Sunday’s multiple attacks on the Kaduna-Abuja highway which claimed at least 15 lives and many kidnapped including eight students of Ahmadu Bello University.

Kaduna State government, while confirming the killing of 11 people in Albasu village in Igabi LGA, identified the victims as: Amadu Mallam, Idi GefefeIsah, Goma Awwalu, Goma Babangida, Iliyasu Lado, Iliyasu Ya’u, Jumare Hamza, Umaru Shehu, Jibril Tukur, Albasu Musa and Adamu Muruzuwa.

The state Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said Muazu Albasu, Samaila Chairman, Junaidu Hussaini and a yet to be identified woman earlier thought to have been killed sustained injuries from the attack.

Aruwan said security agencies had identified the remains of one Albarka Addu’a, a former Village Head of Kyemara Gari who was killed by bandits on Sunday after they kidnapped two persons at Maraban Kajuru in Kajuru LGA.

He also confirmed attacks on Fatika, Kaya and Yakawada villages of Giwa LGA on Monday which claimed two lives while an undisclosed number of people were kidnapped.

According to the commissioner, security report from Operation Safe Haven in charge of the security situation in Plateau and parts of Southern Kaduna stated that about five men armed with AK-47 rifles and machetes had in the early hours of Tuesday breached the home of the District Head of Gidan Zaki, Haruna Kuyet in Zangon Kataf and killed him and his son, Destiny Kuyet.

He said the security report indicated that the assailants tried to burn the house and a vehicle, adding that the district head’s wife sustained machete wounds on her hand while his daughter had a gunshot wound on her finger.

“The military added that there were three empty cases and a live round of 7.62mm special ammunition that were recovered at the scene. Troops in collaboration with other security agencies are carrying out investigations and trailing the assailants,” he said.

The commissioner said Governor Nasir el-Rufai had charged security operatives to find the killers of the district head and his son while assuring that the state government would continue to give security updates to the citizenry as it continued to work with security agencies on the protection of lives and property across the state.