Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Members of the Naridon community in Southern Kaduna have vehemently disputed the Kaduna State Government's account of the massacre that claimed at least 30 lives over the weekend, insisting that the village is not located on the border with Plateau State as authorities have claimed. The residents accused the government of lacking transparency and attempting to divert attention from the attack by linking it to a neighbouring state, raising fresh questions about the official narrative surrounding one of the deadliest assaults on communities in Southern Kaduna in recent memory.
The attack occurred late Sunday night, July 26, 2026, when armed gunmen stormed Naridon village in Kamaru Ward of Kauru Local Government Area, shooting indiscriminately, setting houses ablaze, and leaving scores of residents dead. Among the victims were five siblings from the same family, identified as Deborah, Friday, Yusuf, Yunana and Irimiya Emmanuel, whose parents miraculously escaped the assault. A former youth leader in the area, Friday Ango, initially confirmed 24 deaths, while other community sources later put the figure at about 30. Residents said the attackers, armed with sophisticated weapons, carried out their operation for several hours without resistance, arriving at approximately 12:40 a.m. and forcing villagers to flee into the night. No abductions were immediately reported, suggesting the assault was primarily intended to kill and destroy rather than kidnap for ransom.
The Kaduna State Government, through Commissioner for Information Ahmed Maiyaki, issued a statement on Monday, July 27, 2026, condemning the attack and describing Naridon as a border community sharing proximity with Ganawuri in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State. Governor Uba Sani directed security agencies to intensify operations to apprehend those responsible and ordered the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency to provide immediate relief and humanitarian assistance to affected families. The government also pledged to collaborate with Plateau State authorities to strengthen border security.
However, residents and relatives of the victims have firmly rejected this characterisation. Ibrahim John, a resident who broke the news of the attack to journalists in the early hours of Monday, insisted that Naridon is far from the Kaduna–Plateau boundary. "We want to set the record straight: our village is not in any way situated on the border with Ganawuri of Plateau State. We are situated in Naridon, far away from any border with Plateau State," John said. He listed several communities that, according to him, lie beyond Naridon in the direction of the state boundary, including Unguwan Rimi, Unguwan Makera, Unguwan Magaji, Kigam, Kishio, Kitanta and Kamaru. "Where did they get the Plateau border issue from? It is a diversion to say they will work with the Plateau State Government," John charged.
The residents maintained that portraying Naridon as a Kaduna–Plateau border community could create a misleading impression about the location and circumstances of the attacks. They further alleged that the state government initially failed to acknowledge the plight of the community following the attacks and was only forced to act after mounting public criticism. "The government was only forced to acknowledge our suffering after several denials. We felt it was important to set the record straight," John added.
The Southern Kaduna Peoples Union condemned the attack and called on the Kaduna State Police Command to strengthen security across vulnerable communities. In an open letter dated July 27, 2026, and signed by its President, Engr. Tabara Samuel Kato, SOKAPU described the incident as another indication of the security challenges confronting rural communities in Southern Kaduna. The group said residents of Kajuru, Chikun, Kauru and Zangon Kataf local government areas continued to face insecurity despite repeated assurances, and called for a shift from reactive security responses to proactive, intelligence-driven policing.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar also condemned the massacre, describing the reported killing of scores of innocent Nigerians in Kauru Local Government Area as heartbreaking and unacceptable. He argued that the continued bloodshed across the country exposed the inability of the Federal Government to fulfil its primary constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property. Atiku expressed hope that the massacre was not politically motivated but warned that as the country approached another political season, security agencies must strengthen protection around vulnerable communities.
Amnesty International also condemned the attack, describing the killing of at least 30 people as one of the deadliest recent assaults on communities in Southern Kaduna and blaming authorities for failing to protect communities and bring perpetrators to justice. The organisation noted that some communities in the area had experienced similar attacks over five times, highlighting the recurring nature of the violence.
The controversy over the location of the attack comes amid broader questions about the effectiveness of security measures in Southern Kaduna. Just days before the Naridon attack, reports indicated that at least eight people linked to two groups of hostages abducted from Ariko and Awon villages in Kachia Local Government Area died while in captivity, including a newborn delivered by a kidnapped woman. The recurring violence has raised fresh concerns over the security situation in Kauru and other parts of Southern Kaduna, where attacks on communities have become frequent. No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the latest attack, but armed groups known locally as bandits regularly carry out raids and kidnappings for ransom in the northwest and north-central parts of Nigeria.
The Kaduna State Government has yet to respond to the residents' challenge to its account of the massacre. However, the dispute over the location of the attack raises uncomfortable questions about the government's handling of the incident and whether the characterisation of Naridon as a border community was an attempt to share responsibility with Plateau State or to downplay the severity of the security failure within Kaduna's own borders. For the residents of Naridon, the immediate concern remains the safe recovery of the injured and the provision of relief to families who have lost everything. But their insistence on setting the record straight reflects a deeper frustration with a government they believe has been slow to acknowledge their suffering and transparent about the true nature of the threat they face. As the community buries its dead and mourns its losses, the call for justice and lasting peace has never been more urgent, and the residents' challenge to the official narrative ensures that the scrutiny over this massacre will not fade quietly.
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