Gunmen kill seven, injure one in fresh attack on Southern Kaduna community

Suspected gunmen attacked Damakasuwa community in Chawai Chiefdom of the Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Friday, killing no fewer than seven persons while one other sustained gunshot injuries.

The assailants were said to have invaded the community around 8pm, shooting sporadically and forcing residents to flee into nearby bushes for safety.

Residents said the attack threw the entire community into panic as gunshots echoed for several minutes without any immediate response from security personnel.

The Paramount Chief of Chawai, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Yahaya Muhammad, said five persons were shot dead on the spot, while two others who were critically injured later died.

He said, “The incident has heightened tension in the area, but normalcy has since been restored due to the presence of military personnel in the community.

“We’ve urged our people to remain calm and allow the security agencies to carry out their diligent work to ensure the perpetrators are apprehended”.

Mamy residents of the community said the incident has heightened fear across neighbouring settlements in the Chawai axis of Kauru LGA, which has witnessed a series of armed assaults, kidnappings, and killings in recent months.

Efforts to reach the Kaduna State Police Command’s spokesperson, ASP Mansir Hassan, were unsuccessful as calls and text messages sent to his phone were not returned.

Kauru Local Government, located in the southern part of Kaduna, has remained one of the most volatile areas in the state, with recurring incidents of banditry, claiming dozens of lives.