At least eight persons were killed and 12 others injured when some gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen attacked Yangal-Fadan village in Zangong Kataf Local Government Area (LGA) of Kaduna State.
An eyewitness said the gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen stormed the community in the late hours of Tuesday night when the residents had gone to bed, shooting indiscriminately and burning down houses.
The gunmen who reportedly came with AK-47 rifles and numbering over 20, also burnt down yam barns and domestic animals before escaping into a nearby bush before the arrival of security operatives.
Although the state police command is yet to confirm the incident, the caretaker Chairman of Zangong Kataf LGA, Mr Jonathan Asake, who confirmed the incident to reporters, said the gunmen carried out the deadly attacks around 11:00pm on Tuesday night.
He disclosed that the 12 injured persons were rushed to St. Louis Hospital, Zonkwa, about 15km from Yangal village for treatment.
Governor Muktar Yero, who was on a campaign tour in the southern part of Kaduna State when the incident occurred, condemned the attack.
In a statement by his Media Aide, Ahmed Maiyaki, the Governor said the attack was an apparent attempt by miscreants to cause conflict and confusion in the state and to heighten tension among the peaceful people of the state.
The governor said it was rather sad that some people would stop at nothing in achieving their selfish goals including shedding the blood of innocent citizens of the state.
He also directed the State Emergency Management Agency to immediately move to the affected community to provide victims of the attack with necessary support and assistance and promised to settle the hospital bills of those injured in the attack.
He also called on people in the affected community to remain calm as security agencies were already investigating the matter with the aim of bringing the perpetrators to book.
Meanwhile, adequate security personnel have been deployed to the area to maintain law and order.
Several villages in the southern part of Kaduna State have witnessed series of deadly attacks that have left about 4,000 people dead and over 20,000 displaced from their ancestral homes.
Most of the attacks are suspected to have been carried out by herdsmen and cattle rustlers.
