A Christian leader in Nigeria's Kaduna state has appealed for urgent security measures after at least 30 people were killed in an attack on a predominantly Christian village.
Rt. Hon. Stephen Hajara, spokesperson for the Kauru Local Government Legislative Council and councillor representing Kamaru ward, said residents of Naridon had endured repeated violence and called on the Nigerian government to do more to protect vulnerable communities.
"Every month, we bury our people," Hajara told International Christian Concern (ICC). "Last month, we buried 11 people, including children; now, another mass burial of 30. Enough is enough, please! Please come to our aid!"
Gunmen reportedly entered Naridon late on Sunday and continued their attack into the early hours of Monday, killing at least 30 people, including eight children, according to local reports. Several others were injured, while residents said homes were set on fire as families fled into nearby fields and bushland.
Some residents described the attackers as suspected Fulani ethnic militants, although no group had claimed responsibility and Nigerian authorities had not publicly identified those responsible.
Hajara urged security agencies to identify, arrest and prosecute those behind the attack and appealed to President Bola Tinubu and Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani to deploy more security personnel to rural communities.
"If these killings continue, the Christian population will keep shrinking," she said. "A day may come when terrorists wipe out Christian communities from this area."
She also called on Nigeria to strengthen its security partnership with the United States and appealed to the international Christian community for support.
"We need protection, humanitarian aid, and international support," Hajara said. "The people of Kauru cannot continue to bury their families every month."
Human rights organisation Amnesty International condemned the attack, saying assailants pursued some residents as they tried to escape into surrounding bushland. It said recovery teams continued to find bodies in homes and nearby farmland while families searched for missing relatives.
Governor Uba Sani also condemned the killings and directed security agencies to intensify efforts to identify and arrest those responsible. He instructed the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency to provide humanitarian assistance to affected families and said the state would work with neighbouring Plateau State, security agencies and traditional leaders to strengthen security along the Kaduna-Plateau border.
The attack comes weeks after another assault in Kamaru ward, when suspected gunmen killed nine people, including four children, in the community of Ungwan Magaji. Residents had previously called for increased security patrols, intelligence operations and humanitarian assistance.
Authorities had not announced any arrests in connection with the Naridon attack at the time of publication.
