Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
At least nine people have been confirmed dead and 11 others injured following an attack by suspected terrorists on Unguwar Magaji community in Kamaru Ward, Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The attack occurred late on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, according to the spokesperson for the Irigwe Youth Movement, Joseph Yonkpa, who confirmed the incident to multiple news outlets.
Yonkpa stated that while initial reports did not immediately reveal the full scale of the casualties, subsequent search and recovery operations led to the discovery of seven additional bodies, raising the total death toll to nine. Community sources told SaharaReporters that the attackers stormed the area with firearms and also attacked some children with machetes, leaving residents deeply traumatised. The attack occurred at about 1:00 a.m. on Wednesday, according to a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the Irigwe Youth Movement, Joseph Chudu Yonkpa, who said the attackers invaded the community and opened fire on residents. Yonkpa explained that the majority of the inhabitants of the affected settlement are members of the Irigwe ethnic nationality with ancestral roots in neighbouring Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The victims who lost their lives were identified as Jerry Doctor, 51; Danlami Magani, 49; Sunday Chibi, 53; Rita Abdullahi, 45; Sunday Elkan, 5; Esther Kefas, 5; Happy Friday, 6; Moses Daddy, 4; and Daddy Ibrahim, 28. Four of the nine persons killed were children aged between four and six years, a development that has generated outrage among community members and human rights advocates. The 11 injured victims were identified as Halla Monday, Mary Yohanna, Jummai John, Charity Danjuma, Faith Yakubu, Omi Yakubu, Ali Sandiye, Asabe Victor, Srarina Simon, Talatu Sunday and ThankGod Danladi.
Amnesty International condemned the attack, describing it as one of the deadliest recent attacks in Southern Kaduna and expressing concern over the persistent insecurity in the region. The organisation said two of those killed were children aged five and four, respectively, and that several victims were brutally killed, while three women were reportedly attacked in their homes during the night‑time assault. Search efforts were continuing for residents who remained missing following the attack, Amnesty International said.
Residents expressed grief and frustration over what they described as the recurring violence in Southern Kaduna and the limited attention such incidents often receive. They lamented that despite the scale of the tragedy, attacks on vulnerable communities in the region frequently go underreported, leaving victims and survivors feeling abandoned. Community members called on the media, civil society organisations and relevant government authorities to pay greater attention to the plight of communities facing repeated attacks and loss of lives. The National Secretary of the Irigwe Development Association, Danjuma Dickson Auta, condemned the attack and called on security agencies to investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice. He expressed concern over what he described as repeated attacks on communities in the area and urged authorities to strengthen security measures to protect lives and property.
The attack has renewed concerns over the deteriorating security situation in Southern Kaduna, where communities have continued to experience recurrent attacks by armed groups, resulting in deaths, injuries and displacement of residents. The Kaduna-Plateau border corridor has been identified as one of the most fragile security flashpoints in North Central Nigeria due to its difficult terrain, porous boundaries and history of ethno communal conflicts. Residents of affected communities have often complained about delayed security response during attacks, inadequate deployment of personnel and the absence of sustained peace building mechanisms capable of addressing the root causes of violence. As of the time of filing this report, the Kaduna State Police Command had not issued any statement on the incident.
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