14-year-old girl, 4 others killed in renewed attack in Southern Kaduna

Barely 24 hours after soldiers and other security agencies were deployed in Southern Kaduna to intensify efforts in ending the activities of bandits in the area,  suspected herdsmen, again, stormed Goska village under Kaninkon Chiefdom of Jema’a Local Government Area of the state, killing a 14-year-old girl and four other women.

The latest wave of attack, according to an eyewitness, began on Saturday evening, when the attackers were engaged in a fierce battle with  soldiers who  were deployed to provide security, only for the hoodlums to come back on  Sunday to continue their aggression.

“The hoodlums in military uniform stormed the village around 7.00p.m on Saturday and started shooting sporadically, forcing the villagers to run for safety,’’ the source said.

Findings revealed that the 14-year-old daughter of the former chairman of Jema’a Local Government, Gideon Morik, was killed.

The source further said the village was now a ghost town as residents had fled to neighbouring towns and villages.

“On Monday morning, we counted five bodies, including the body of a 14-year-old girl.

The question  residents asked was: how did the hoodlums enter the village in spite of the curfew and the presence of security operatives?”

The chairman of Jema’a Local Government, Mr Katuka Bege, in an interview, said the terrain was made up of thick forest and mountains, saying the hoodlums must have hidden in the places only to come down and unleash terror on the residents.

He said he was optimistic that it was just a matter of time, the situation would be brought to an end.

Reacting on the renewed attack, the state governor, Nasir el-Rufai, while empathizing with victims, vowed that the attackers would not know peace.

Meanwhile, the Presidency has indicated that President Muhammadu Buhari has no plan to comment on attacks in Southern Kaduna.

Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, disclosed this while featuring on Channels Television programme, Sunrise Daily, on Monday, saying that the buck stops on the table of the state governor, Mallam el-Rufai, who, he said “is on top of the matter.”

When it was pointed out to him that Buhari was yet to speak on the matter, the Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity said the president did not have to comment on everything.

He noted that the state governor had briefed the president on the matter and Buhari was confident of the ability of the governor to deal with the matter as the chief security officer of the state.