No fewer than 20 people were feared killed and several injured in an early morning attack on Easter Sunday by suspected Fulani herdsmen in Ataka, Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Eyewitness account said the attackers invaded the village early in the morning, using dangerous weapons such as guns and machetes on the villagers.

Kaduna State police command confirmed the attack on the village which is located along the border of Plateau State where the Fulani and natives in Plateau were still at daggers drawn since last week.

Reports from the area said Fulani herdsmen were leaving Plateau State in drove as a result of the protracted crisis in the area.

Speaking about the attack on phone in Kaura, the Kaduna police public relations officer, Aminu Lawal (DSP), confirmed that “there was an attack, and people were actually killed, but we are still contacting the area commander who is right now with other security agencies especially the military to get the exact figure of those who lost their lives”.

According to him, “I said our area commander and the zonal commander as well as the military people are already at the place. And they are working hard to get the figures of those either killed or injured. Let us wait and see if in a short while they will get the figures.

“The place is called Ataka, just a little bit far away and it is a border village with Plateau State. The place had a lot of hard terrain. The incident, according to what we got, happened in the early hours of yesterday (Sunday) but because of the terrain, the hill and the mountains people could not get there on time.

“Definitely, it would be difficult for the operatives to get to the place but we are still hoping to get to the root of the incident. Our men are already there and they have already taken control of the place”, Lawal said.

According to an eyewitness who spoke on phone as well, about 20 people were feared killed in the attack while scores of others sustained serious injuries.

The witness said, “They call the community Ataka Chiefdom. It is a border town within Plateau. It was a serious attack. The gunmen opened fire on everybody. Other people came from neighbouring villages. If not for the other people that came from neighbouring villages to ward off the attack, the gunmen would have wiped out the entire village”.

 

BLESSING OLAIFA, Kaduna

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