Entire family slaughtered, children’s throat slit – Amnesty laments Southern Kaduna attack

Amnesty International has condemned the killing of at least 30 people in a deadly overnight attack on Naridon Village in Kamaru Ward of Kauru Local Government Area, Kaduna State, describing the assault as one of the deadliest attacks on communities in southern Kaduna in recent years.

According to Amnesty, heavily armed gunmen stormed the village on Monday night, killing residents and pursuing those who fled into nearby bushes, where many were reportedly slaughtered.

In a statement issued on Monday, the organisation said dozens of residents remain unaccounted for, while local efforts to determine the full death toll are ongoing as more bodies continue to be discovered in homes and surrounding farmlands.

Amnesty International said it obtained disturbing evidence from the aftermath of the attack, including images allegedly showing entire families killed inside their homes.

“Gory images obtained by Amnesty International show entire families locked up and slaughtered inside their bedrooms. Children had their throats slit and their heads left with massive cuts. There was blood on beds, in kitchens and on the trails of those bleeding while trying to escape,” the organisation said.

The rights group described the incident as “perhaps one of the deadliest attacks on southern Kaduna villages,” noting that some communities in the region have suffered similar attacks more than five times in recent years.

The latest killings come despite repeated assurances by President Bola Tinubu that security agencies have been directed to end violent attacks across rural communities.

Amnesty International said the attack highlights the government’s inability to guarantee the safety of citizens despite such commitments.

“President Bola Tinubu claims he has repeatedly tasked security agencies to end the killings so that rural communities can go to bed with their eyes closed, but clearly nothing has changed,” Amnesty International stated.

The organisation further blamed the continued violence on what it described as the failure of authorities to protect vulnerable communities and prosecute those responsible.

“The spate of these killings is evidence of the failure of authorities to protect the people. The inability of authorities to bring attackers to justice is fueling impunity,” Amnesty International said.

Entire family slaughtered, children’s throat slit – Amnesty laments Southern Kaduna attack