Southern Kaduna attack: LG chairman imposes 24-hour curfew as death toll rises to 17

Southern Kaduna attack: LG chairman imposes 24-hour curfew as death toll rises to 17

The Kaduna State government has imposed a 24-hour curfew in four communities in Zango-Kataf Local Government Area following the attack that left many people dead.

No fewer than 10 dead bodies were recovered after gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen attacked Unguwar Wakili on Saturday night, March 11, 2023.

However, according to the PUNCH , the death toll from the attack on the community has risen to 17.

Yabo Chris Ephraim, Special Assistant (Media) to the executive chairman, Zangon Kataf Local Government Council, in a statement on Sunday, said the curfew on Ungwan Juju, Mabuhu, Ungwan Wakili and Zangon Urban, takes immediate effect.

The statement added that the imposition of the curfew was among other measures to forestall possible breakdown of law and order and to allow men of the Nigerian Army to restore peace in the area.

A Punch correspondent, who visited the scene of the attack counted 14 corpses recovered this morning, aside from the one person killed yesterday and the two people that died in the hospital.

It was gathered from the military on the ground that aside from the pockets of complaints of cow poisoning and destruction of farm produce by the locals and Fulani, which they have been resolving, the recent attack might be due to the killing of a Fulani herder four days ago in Ungwan Juju apparently in retaliation of the killing of one of their locals last month.

Speaking to newsmen, the council chairman, Zango Kataf Local Government, Mr Francis Sani Zimbo, condemned the barbaric attack assuring that investigations are on to unravel the perpetrators to bring them to book.

He expressed regret on why all the Mobile Police checkpoints within the affected communities were withdrawn before last night’s attack.

Meanwhile, the locals, while expressing their displeasure in protests, wondered how an attack will last about 40 minutes without a single attacker killed by the security operatives even with the presence of a forward operating base within the community.

Meanwhile, a Laboratory Technology student of the Federal Polytechnic Bauchi, identified as Peace Everest, was among those killed in the attack. Continue reading