No fewer than four persons have been killed following an attack by unidentified gunmen in Bundu-Kahugu community, located in Lere Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The attack, which occurred on Wednesday night, left the once-peaceful community in grief and shock.
Those who lost their lives were identified as Apolos Emmanuel, 19; Wilas Yahaya, 25; Darius Sunday, 12; and Nehemiah Jonathan, 25. In addition, seven other residents were said to have sustained varying degrees of gunshot injuries during the incident.
The injured victims were named as Andrew Soda, 40; Dominic Audu, 37; Nabal Gagare, 34; Cornelius Emmanuel, 18; Francis Danzaria, 36; Sani Dini, 19; and Pius Aminu, 20.
A source familiar with the incident said the attackers invaded the community under the cover of darkness, firing shots indiscriminately and triggering panic among residents.
The source disclosed that the latest incident marked the second major deadly attack on the area, recalling a similar assault in 2012 that also resulted in the deaths of four persons.
Those reportedly killed in the 2012 attack were Chindo Mukaddas, Sarah Tatiyan, Jonah Kawari and Daniel Micah, according to Daily Post.
Describing the renewed violence as disturbing, the source noted that the Kahugu nation had historically been known for peaceful coexistence.
He added that Bundu-Kahugu, which is one of the seven major communities in Kaguu (Kahugu) nation, had never been involved in attacks on neighbouring communities.
The source called on the government and security agencies to urgently step up measures to safeguard lives and property in the area.
Efforts to obtain a reaction from the Kaduna State Police Command spokesperson, Mansir Hussaini, were unsuccessful as he could not be reached for comments on the incident.
