Insecurity: Bandits attack Kaduna wedding party, kill 13, abduct 28
By Ndukaku Ihe
The crisis of insecurity in the country continued on Saturday as Suspected bandits attacked a wedding celebration in Kahir village, Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State, killing 13 people and abducting 28 others.
A resident of the community, Emmanuel Musa Kahir, who is also a former special adviser to the Kagarko council chairman, said the attackers stormed the venue around 11pm.
He disclosed that the gunmen, armed with sophisticated weapons, opened fire indiscriminately on attendees of the bachelor’s eve party, killing 13 people on the spot.
According to him, seven persons sustained injuries during the attack. Six of the victims were taken to a general hospital in Kagarko, while one severely injured person was referred to a hospital in Kaduna for further treatment.
Kahir added that about 28 persons were abducted by the assailants, although the exact number remains uncertain as many of the attendees were children.
He revealed that several shops in the community were looted, with the attackers carting away foodstuffs.
The resident said the attack occurred despite prior warnings from a vigilante group in Kuratan, a neighbouring community, which had reportedly sighted the bandits and advised that the gathering be dispersed.
“Few of those at the party heeded the advice and ran away; those who ignored the advice were the victims”, he said.
Kahir also noted that government officials, including the council chairman, the deputy speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, and the state Commissioner of Police, had visited the affected community.
Efforts to reach Mansir Hassan, spokesperson of the Kaduna State Police Command, were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
