Tragedy struck on Sunday night as bandits attacked Angwan Rimi community in Kamaru ward of Kajuru Local Government Area, Kaduna State, killing seven people and leaving eight others injured.

According to eyewitness accounts, most of the victims were women and children of Irigwe extraction. Those killed have been identified as Jacob Zakka (12), Felicia Francis (30), Margaret Mathias (5), Veronica Paul (25), Delight Paul (1), Confidence Yakubu (15), and Sati Markus (9).

The injured include Mathew Sunday (14), Jethro Istafanus (7), Jackson Istafanus (5), Emmanuel Morris (14), Agatha Sylvester (9), Joy Markus (9), Divine Paul (6 months), and Mary Ishaya (12).

The National Publicity Secretary of the Irigwe Youth Movement, Joseph Church Yonkpa, condemned the attack and urged government authorities to step up security in the area.

“We call on relevant authorities to ensure the lives of Irigwe people and our communities are protected so we can freely showcase our potentials and improve our living standards,” he said in a statement.

The group also appealed to security agencies to act swiftly in bringing the attackers to justice and preventing further violence.

As of the time of filing this report, the Kaduna State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Mansur Hassan, had not responded to inquiries regarding the incident.

The attack is the latest in a series of violent assaults on communities in Kajuru, a local government that has suffered repeated insecurity challenges in recent years.