Community, police differ on casualties in Kaduna attacks

The Adara Development Association (ADA) and the Kaduna Police Command have disagreed over the casualty figures arising from the Monday attacks on three communities in Kajuru council area of the state.

While the body said scores were killed and 43 houses razed by the unknown gunmen, the police put the deaths at 16.

ADA’s Assistant National Secretary, Luke Waziri, maintained that 52 persons died and dozens got injured in Inkirimi and Dogonnoma villages while another attack in the evening of same day at Ungwan Gora (Labi village) left dozens injured and 43 houses burnt.

A source, in another version, said 46 people were killed and 20 others wounded by armed men who reportedly stormed Ungwan Damou in the morning of the fateful day.

On the response of security agents to the incidents, he said: “It is a normal thing for security men to appear after killings. But their response is not encouraging at all.”

Contacted to confirm the new development, the police spokesman, ASP Yakubu Sabo, promised to get back. A promise he never kept as at press time.

According to ADA, attacks on the area since February 10 this year have killed 118 persons.

Waziri recalled: “First, Ungwan Barde was attacked on February 10, 2019 and nobody said anything even though those in government knew. Furthermore, the government pretended that the 11 people killed didn’t matter. Then Karamai, another of our community, was attacked on February 26, with 38 people killed.

“While the victims were buried in a mass grave and the injured yet to recover, Ungwan Barde village was attacked again on Sunday, March 10. Seventeen people were killed and dozens of houses burnt.

“The next day, while we were still searching for more bodies, Inkirimi and Dogonnoma villages in Maro were attacked. Fifty-two persons were killed and dozens injured. The smoke had barely settled when an attack was launched in the evening at Ungwan Gora (Labi village) with dozens injured and 43 houses burnt.”

He continued: “Thousands of households have been displaced and are moving from one village to the other in search of refuge.

“In all these, not a single person has been arrested or questioned. This, is, despite the fact that all the attacks took place either in the morning or evening in the full glare of everyone.”