The Kaduna State Police Command on Sunday confirmed attack on Kaya village in Fatika district of Giwa’s local government area of Kaduna state.
Daily Trust had reported that suspected bandits had on Saturday night attacked the village as 15 people were allegedly killed while 11 shops and 5 vehicles were also burnt.
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The Kaduna state Police Command confirmed the incident to our reporter adding that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of the area, the local government chairman, state legislator and District head were currently in the village to commiserate with the people.
The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mohammed Jaliige described the incident as an unfortunate one that residents had taken laws into their hands by attacking and killing people, they suspected to be bandits without informing the Police.
According to Jalige: “The Commissioner of Police has directed more deployment to the area and normalcy has been restored.”
Daily Trust gathered that the incident occurred around 8pm on Saturday and residents say they fear the attack was a likely reprisal on Friday’s attack on the home of a warlord and the killing of three of his relatives by residents of the village.
Ibrahim Ahmed Fatika who visited Kaya on Sunday morning told Daily Trust that eight of the residents killed were indigenes of Kaya village while the remaining seven including a trailer driver who brought chicken manure were visitors.
Ahmed told Daily Trust that the Janazah prayer for eight of the victims was performed in the morning and said about 10 military personnel have now been stationed in the village. He said vehicles burnt include three Golfs, a 406 and a bus while furniture shops were equally torched.
Another resident of the village, Abdu Saidu told our correspondent that the attack was linked to the burning of the house of an alleged warlord called Filani and the killing of three of his relatives on Saturday.
He said Filani’s gang was suspected to have abducted five persons including a soon-to-be bride from neighbouring Kaura village adding that the people of Kaura had sought help from residents of Kaya.
“On their way to render assistance, one of the villagers from Kaya went missing,” said Saidu, adding that: “When they couldn’t rescue the abducted victims, they suspected Filani’s gang was behind it and so they went to his house and set it ablaze. They also matchetted his brother who was later taken to the hospital but referred to a general hospital.”
Saidu further said when the villagers found the corpse of their missing companion on Saturday morning, they then ambushed Filani’s brother and two other relatives while on their way to the hospital, killed them and later burnt their remains.
