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Terrorists killed 31 people and burned homes in Naridon, part of the Kamaru village cluster, Kaduna State, Nigeria in the early hours of Monday. Residents said was the first attack of its kind on the community and also accused the army of refusing to respond, according to reporting by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism.Residents told FIJ that the attackers arrived around 12 am with guns and machetes, going from house to house and shooting sporadically. Three shops and two houses were set on fire, along with two motorbikes.Jacob Nera, a former councillor of Kamaru Ward and a native of the village, said the death toll was initially 30 but rose to 31 after one victim died in hospital. The victims were a mix of farmers and businessmen, he said. Reuters reported that there were eight children were among those killed. “The death toll is currently 31. They came around 12 am. They were going from house to house, shooting. Yes, they set three shops and two houses on fire. For now, we don’t know if anyone was kidnapped. This is the first time ever that Kamaru is coming under this kind of attack,” Nera told FIJ.Nera said residents called the Nigerian Army during the attack but “they refused to come on time.” Police also did not arrive until after the incident, he said.FIJ reported that it contacted the Kaduna State Police Command spokesperson for comment, but received no response. When the publication reached out to the Kaduna State Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, a staff member said they were not aware of the incident.No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Violence by armed gangs and other criminal groups has become a major security challenge across northwestern and north-central Nigeria, while the country’s northeast continues to face an insurgency by Boko Haram and its splinter faction, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).The attack comes amid a surge in violence in Kaduna State. In April, 37 residents of Ariko Community in Kachia Local Government Area were abducted, with their captors demanding a N1 billion ransom and 35 motorcycles for their release. They remain in captivity.The perpetrators of Monday’s attack are suspected by residents to be Fulani herdsmen. However, authorities have not officially identified the assailants.
