Suspected terrorists attacked Banono Angwaku community in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Tuesday night.
This led to the demise of one individual named Christopher Zamani, the injury of another person, and the abduction of eight others.
The incident has further escalated tensions in a region already grappling with a wave of kidnappings.
Punch reports that a resident of the area, Dauda Manyu, identified the victims of the latest attack as Kauna Fidelis, Tina Bulus, Alice Joshua, Sarah Micah, Janet Amos, Martha Peter, Rita Joefrey, and Favour Ado.
Manyu also reported that in addition to the human toll, the attackers made off with money, two motorcycles, food items, and other valuables after invading the village around 10 p.m.
This attack comes on the heels of another incident where 61 villagers were abducted from the Buda community within the same local government area, highlighting an alarming pattern of violence and abduction in Kajuru and Chikun LGAs over the past two weeks.
Manyu disclosed that there has yet to be any communication with the 61 individuals abducted earlier, underscoring the urgent need for effective responses to the kidnapping crisis. He emphasized the critical role local hunters, in collaboration with military forces, could play in addressing the situation by combing through forests and monitoring cattle routes frequently used by terrorists.
The community’s plea for action points to the dire circumstances faced by local farmers, who are unable to access their lands due to the looming threat of terrorist activities. With an already challenging economic situation in the country, the inability to farm peacefully poses a significant risk of exacerbating hunger and instability in the region.
Calls for a more proactive and sincere approach from the government and military were made, stressing the necessity of devising immediate strategies to counter the menace of terrorism and secure the lives and livelihoods of the populace.
Attempts to reach the state’s Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mansir Hassan, for comments were met with a request for a text message, which remained unanswered at the time of this report.