TRAGEDY struck Angwan Rimi community in Kamaru Ward, Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, on Sunday night when armed bandits launched an attack that left seven people dead and eight others injured.
The assault, which reportedly targeted mostly women and children including a one-year-old baby of Irigwe extraction, has plunged the community into mourning and renewed calls for urgent government intervention.
According to a statement issued on Monday by the Irigwe Youth Movement (IYM) made available to News Point Nigeria, those who lost their lives in the attack include: Jacob Zakka (12), Felicia Francis (30), Magaret Mathias (5), Veronica Paul (25), Delight Paul (1), Confidence Yakubu (15), and Sati Markus (9).
The injured were listed as: Mathew Sunday (14), Jethro Istafanus (7), Jackson Istafanus (5), Emmanuel Morris (14), Agatha Sylvester (9), Joy Markus (9), Divine Paul (6 months), and Mary Ishaya (12).
Reacting to the incident, the National Publicity Secretary of the Irigwe Youth Movement, Joseph Chudu Yonkpa, condemned the attack and urged governments at all levels to take immediate action to secure Irigwe communities.
“The leadership of Irigwe Youth Movement uses this medium to call on relevant authorities to intervene by making sure the lives of Irigwe people and our communities are well protected,” Yonkpa said.
He stressed that the people of Irigwe have suffered repeated attacks over the years, and without stronger intervention from security forces, the cycle of killings may continue.
Efforts to obtain confirmation and details from the Kaduna State Police Command proved unsuccessful, as the Command’s spokesperson, DSP Mansur Hassan, did not respond to calls at the time of filing this report.
The Irigwe Youth Movement, however, urged security agencies to take decisive action to forestall further bloodshed and restore confidence in the safety of vulnerable rural communities.
For the grieving families in Angwan Rimi, however, the immediate reality is one of pain and loss, as mothers bury their children and households count the toll of yet another bloody assault on Kaduna soil.
