Terrorists reportedly attack Kaduna communities with helicopter, 45 people killed

A Kaduna State-based journalist, Gambo Mohammed, has narrated how terrorists used an helicopter to attack some communities in Kaduna State on Sunday, killing more than 45 people, injured hundreds of others and burnt down houses, farmlands and livestock.

The attack, according to Mohammed who spoke to Ripples Nigeria on Thursday, happened simultaneously in Ungwan Gamu, Dogon Noma, Ungwan Sarki and Maikori and Maro communities all in Kajuru local government area in the southern part of the state, with the initial death toll put at 32, but later rising to 45 as at Thursday morning.

Mohammed said the heavily armed terrorists numbering more than 100, rode into the communities at about 3pm in a convoy of motorcycles carrying three per bike and “began shooting indiscriminately at anything that moved” and operated for up to six hours.

Quoting Mr. Awemi Dio Maisamari, the National President of the Adara Department Association (ADA), a body of the Kajuru Indigenous people, Mohammed said while the terrorists were attacking the communities, the youths and vigilantes mobilised and tried to repel the invaders.

“But in the process of the counter attack, a white helicopter appeared and the people thought it was from the Nigerian Air Force.

Read also: Again, bandits invade Kaduna communities, kill three, abduct 20

“But to their surprise, the helicopter started shelling the communities with mounted guns and grenades, forcing the youths who were armed with locally made dane guns, bows and arrows to flee.

“Meanwhile, the ground terrorists were moving from village to village under the cover of the helicopter, killing people in their numbers, burning down houses, farmlands and livestock.

“They operated for six good hours and the security agencies were no where to be found. As at this morning, the death toll has risen to 45 while more than 120 people have been injured. The communities are now like ghost towns as almost everyone had fled the communities,” Mohammed said.

At the time of going to press, the state police spokesman, Mohammed Jalige and the Commissioner for Internal Security, Samuel Aruwan, could not be reached for comments as calls and messages sent to their phones were not responded to.

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