Five killed as gunmen invade Kaduna community

Five persons were reportedly killed in Zunuruk community in Kaura Local Government Area in Southern Kaduna, Kaduna State, after gunmen invaded the community and opened fire on football lovers in the community, injuring several others.

This was disclosed at a press briefing in Kaduna on Friday by the National President, Southern Kaduna Peoples Union, Jonathan Asake.

The attack, according to the former member of the House of Representatives, took place on Sunday, December 8, 2019.

He further explained that those who sustained gunshot wounds were taken to the Kafanchan General Hospital in Jema’a Local Government Area while some with critical cases were referred to 44 Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna, as well as the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria.

Asake gave the names of those killed as Kefas Peter (39) and Solomon Yohana (48), a secondary schoolteacher and coach of the community’s football team.

Read also: Unknown assailants stab 24-yr-old final year student to death

Others were Felix John (46), Garba Barnabas (37) and Ishaku Dauda (26).

Those who were rushed to the hospital included Kajang Babangida, Francis Abba, Ishaku Dauda while Justice Dennis was referred to the 44 ARH, Kaduna.

“Again, the Army hospital referred two of them to the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Shika, Zaria. Sadly Ishaku Dauda (26) couldn’t make it – he died on Tuesday morning, bringing the death toll to five,” he said.

Asake said: “Less than 24 hours after the handing over of our secretariat as newly elected National Executive Committee of SOKAPU, dark forces of evil struck our communities once again, with such a renewed dimension of terror that was not thought possible in 2019.

“At about 6 pm on Sunday 8, December, 2019, an annual football tournament to foster peace and unity between three communities had just come to an end at the football field of LEA Primary School, Zunuruk – a peaceful farming community close to Kagoro town in Kaura Local Government Area.

“By our independent findings, it was just when the last whistle was blown; signalling the end of the match around 6pm that the rattling of what sounded like gunshots was heard, followed by torrents of bullets fired at the crowd.

“Within a few minutes, four able-bodied young men, all married with children, lay dead in the pools of their blood. Four others were critically injured and were rushed to the nearby General Hospital in Kafanchan.

“In the early morning of Saturday, just a day before the attack at Zunuruk, one Dogara Kazah was killed in Agban Gida, Kagoro, about two kilometers from Zunuruk and not far from another military checkpoint.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now