On Sunday, March 1st, 2020, suspected armed bandits attacked four (4) villages in Igabi Local Government Area (L.G.A.) of Kaduna State, killed fifty one (51) people and injured many others. The attacked villages include Marina, Zareyawa and Kerawa, all located in Kerawa Ward of the local government area.

Eyewitnesses told Flavision that the assailants stormed the villages around 6:00 am shortly after the Muslim early morning prayer. Our reporters gathered that numerous residents fled, while the attackers also set many houses on fire and stole their foodstuffs.

The Kerawa Ward councillor, Malam Dayyabu Kerawa, confirmed the incident to our correspondents.

He told our correspondents that all the fifty one (51) victims were buried around 4:00 pm the same day. He said those who were injured in the attack were taken to hospital for treatment.

We don’t know who they were; they only stormed the villages and started shooting people. As we speak, 51 people have been buried; while the injured were taken to the hospital,

he said. He added that they received the information about the attack late due to network issues.

Nobody knew about the incident on time because there was no network in the affected villages,

he said. Kerawa also said that security agencies visited the crime scene later, but left afterwards.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, ASP Mohammed Jalige, when contacted, said it was not long ago that he got information about the incident. He further said that he had already contacted the area’s Divisional Police Officer (DPO) who visited the crime scene to brief him about the incident.

A reliable source in Kaduna State confirmed the incident to Flavision. He said as of Sunday evening, thirty seven (37) people had been confirmed killed, and however added that the death toll could be higher. The source who declined to be identified by name, said that majority of the victims were men. He surmised that the attack was a reprisal, as the bandits went from house-to-house, picking out individuals they tagged as informants to security agencies.

The source also told our correspondents that during a recent aerial bombardment by the Nigerian Air Force, in which three aircraft were used, many of the bandits also lost their lives.

We got information that bandits attacked these villages and that the military authorities were informed. They (military) moved in. The military and the bandits engaged in a gun duel.

As at this evening (yesterday) from different villages, we learnt that about 37 were killed, but the death toll could rise. There is that possibility. There is still an existing operation going on. They went after the households they believed were collaborating with security agencies,

the source said.

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.