Naridon village in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State is still draped in fear and anguish following last Monday’s deadly gunmen attack.
Armed attackers had stormed the village in the early hours of Monday, shooting sporadically but intently, eyewitnesses say, and by the time the dust cleared, 30 persons including five siblings lay dead.
One of the survivors, Auta Danladi, was one of those who lost relations, in his case, a father and an uncle, said he survived only by the grace of God and because he fled the village.
His parents however refused to run despite his pleas.
He told newsmen:
“When I heard that the attackers were coming, I rushed out of the house. There was confusion everywhere and everyone started running for safety.
“I tried all I could to persuade my father and my mother to leave, but they refused. In the end, my father was killed. I quickly ran into the bush and hid.
“I saw the attackers pass close to where I was lying, but God did not allow them to see me. They burned our house and my in-law’s house as well.
“I have left everything in the hands of God. I don’t have the strength to fight, but God witnessed what they did.
“As the first son of the family, I was shattered when I learned that my father and my uncle had been killed. My father was the one I depended on for survival, but now he is gone”, he recalled.
For Alheri Joseph, it was a sudden occurrence:
“We were sitting together when we suddenly heard gunshots from different directions. I escaped with my children to another village, while those who remained behind were killed.
“Why did they attack us? What is our offence? We are living in fear because we don’t know whether they will come back again. We are worried that this may not be the end.
“We are deeply pained by the death of our relatives. They were our loved ones, our friends, our parents and members of our families.
“We are calling on the government to do justice for us. Whenever such incidents happen, government officials come, make promises and later forget them. This is not just about bringing relief materials. Lives have been lost. What we need is protection,” he said.
