SEVEN persons, including five worshippers, have been reportedly killed by suspected bandits in Saya-Saya village of Ikara local government area of Kaduna State.
The five worshippers were gunned down in the village mosque, while the remaining two other victims were killed at different locations.
Locals explained that the incident occurred around 8 p.m. while villagers conducted their sunset prayers (Isha’i) at a nearby mosque on Friday, September 1.
A resident, Dan Asabe, said two other villagers who sustained gunshot wounds were rushed to the hospital for treatment.
Confirming the incident, the village Head, Abdulrahman Yusuf, said the head of the vigilante in the community was among the victims killed inside the mosque.
“We suspected they traced him (vigilante boss) to the mosque to attack him. We were inside the mosque praying when they arrived and started shooting. Five persons were killed at the mosque, while a driver who brought food items to the village was also killed. The other person was killed at a nearby village,” he said.
According to him, security forces, including soldiers and police from Ikara town and the Palgore area, reached the location at approximately 12:30 a.m. However, the bandits had already departed from the village by that time.
He also mentioned that one of the individuals injured by gunfire was transported to Aminu Kano Hospital for medical care.
Also, while confirming the incident, the acting Public Relations Officer of the State Police Command, Mansir Alhassan, said security personnel had been mobilised to nearby bushes to fish out the perpetrators.
He also stated that the police and other security agencies were not informed of the attack until after the attackers left the area.
Kaduna state has, over the years, witnessed a recurring wave of insecurity that has resulted in the loss of thousands of lives, including some security personnel, the displacement of many people, and extensive damage to hundreds of hectares of land.
In addition to the recurring bandit attacks, the state has grappled with other security issues, including religious tensions and ethnic conflicts.
In 2021, The ICIR reported how deaths from insecurity causes were higher in Kaduna State than all people who died from the insurgency in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States.
In 2022, The ICIR reported how parents withdrew their children and wards from school in the state because of insecurity.
According to records released by the state government in April 2023, approximately 1,266 individuals fell victim to bandit attacks in Kaduna State over the past 15 months.
The report stressed that 746 persons were kidnapped in the state, and another 214 persons were killed in similar incidents between January and March.
“Between January and December 2022, 641 deaths were recorded in Kaduna Central Senatorial Zone, while 349 deaths were recorded in Southern Kaduna Senatorial Zone, and 62 deaths in the Northern Senatorial Zone, bringing the total to 1,052 deaths as a result of banditry and other attacks.
“214 persons were killed between January and March 2023 in attacks by bandits/terrorists, communal clashes, violent attacks, and reprisals,” Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs Samuel Aruwa said.
The ICIR reports that insecurity affects many states in Nigeria. On August 14, The ICIR also reported that within the first 45 days of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s inauguration – May 29 to July 13 – more than 600 individuals had lost their lives due to violence perpetrated by non-state actors nationwide.
According to data, the killings happened primarily from activities of bandits, Boko Haram insurgents, ethnic militias, armed robbers and other non-state actors.
Data from SBM Intelligence, an analysis platform, revealed that about 629 Nigerians were killed in the last 45 days under President Tinubu.
Other data from the Council on Foreign Relations’ Nigeria Security Tracker (NST) and media reports checked by The ICIR showed that non-state actors killed 587 people within the same period.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: [email protected]. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M