TheCable

At least 20 people have been killed in a fresh attack by suspected herdsmen in Anguwan Aku village, Kajuru local government area of Kaduna state.

Several others were said to have sustained injuries in the attacks.

The incident, according to a resident of the community, took place around 7am on Monday.

He said the attackers were dressed in military uniform and armed with AK-47 rifles, machetes and sticks.

“They were shooting indiscriminately and everybody started running to the bush. They were pursuing us as we ran to the bush, some people were killed in the bush,” he said.

“Some of them were wearing military uniforms with bulletproof vests. I saw them from where I was hiding.

“The police came in eight Hilux vehicles, but instead of pursuing the bandits who ran to the bushes, they just turned back.”

According to him, there had been speculations about an impending attacks since last week, which the state government was aware of.

“We had thought that the government would have taken the speculations seriously and be proactive, but they didn’t take it seriously and this had led to the killing of more of our people. It is rather very unfortunate,” he said.

Danladi Yarima, a former president of the Adara Development Association (ADA), confirmed the killings in a telephone interview, describing it as unfortunate.

Efforts to get the reaction of Yakubu Sabo, spokesman of the Kaduna police command, was unsuccessful as his telephone was out of reach.

Kajuru recorded its first killing in 2019 in February.