Kaduna — Suspected bandits on a vengeance mission on Saturday invaded Kaya village in Fatika district of Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State and killed 15 people, while nine others sustained various degrees of injuries from gunshots.
The bandits, who arrived in the community on about 50 motorcycles around 8 pm, also razed several shops and five vehicles, including three Volkswagen Golfs, a bus and a Peugeot 406.
Residents and security agents told Daily Trust that the attack was a likely reprisal after residents of Kaya burnt down the home of a suspected warlord and killed three of his relatives for allegedly abducting five people from neighbouring Kaura village and for killing a resident of Kaya.
Ibrahim Ahmed Fatika, who visited Kaya on Sunday morning, told Daily Trust that eight of the residents killed were indigenous to Kaya, while the remaining seven, including a trailer driver who brought chicken manure, were visitors.
Ahmed told Daily Trust that among the 15 people killed, one had died in the hospital while a funeral prayer was conducted for others on Sunday morning. He, however, said about 10 military personnel and additional police officers had been deployed to the community.
Another resident of the village, Abdu Saidu told our correspondent that the attack was linked to the burning of the house of an alleged warlord called Filani and the killing of three of his relatives on Friday.
He said Filani’s gang was suspected to have abducted five people including a soon-to-be bride from Kaura village, which is barely three kilometers away from Kaya. He said the people of Kaura had sought assistance from residents of Kaya to rescue their people.
“On their way to render assistance, one of the villagers went missing,” he said.
Sai’du further stated that when the villagers found the corpse of their missing companion on Saturday morning, they ambushed Filani’s brother and two other relatives while on their way to the hospital and killed them, then burnt their remains.
Kaduna State Government, in a statement, said several lives had been lost in a series of killings and counter killings in Kaya village.
A statement issued by the state Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, confirmed that nine people were recuperating at the Ahmadu Bello Teaching Hospital, Shika in Zaria.
Also, the Kaduna State Police command confirmed that the attack on Kaya village was linked to the attack on the suspected warlord and cautioned residents against taking laws into their hands.
Police Public Relations Officer in Kaduna, ASP Mohammed Jalige said though the casualty figure was yet to be ascertained at the time of filing this report, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of the area, the local government chairman, state legislator and District head had visited the community for on the spot assessment.
ASP Jalige warned against jungle justice and urged residents to approach security agents with information rather than taking laws into their hands.