Key points
- The Irigwe Nation buried nine victims of the June 16 Angwan Magaji attack, including five children.
- Community leaders blamed a two-decade pattern of violence and a culture of impunity.
- Mourners urged the government to protect vulnerable villages and prosecute the attackers.
The Irigwe Nation held a mass burial on Saturday for nine people killed in the June 16 attack on Angwan Magaji in Kauru Local Government Area of Southern Kaduna. Notably, the dead included five children and one woman.
The Irigwe are a Middle Belt ethnic group spread across Plateau State and parts of Southern Kaduna. Known for their Rigwe language, they have endured repeated assaults in recent years.
Armed bandits stormed the community in Kamaru Ward late on Tuesday, June 16. According to residents, the gunmen used firearms during the raid, while several other people suffered injuries.
Families, community members and religious leaders gathered to lay the victims to rest. Throughout the service, mourners prayed, wept and demanded an end to the violence.
Grief and demands for justice
Community leaders described the killings as part of a sustained campaign against the region. Indeed, they said similar attacks have plagued Southern Kaduna for more than two decades.
Moreover, the mourners blamed a culture of impunity for the repeated bloodshed. According to them, attackers are rarely arrested or prosecuted, which emboldens further raids.
Many mourners voiced anger at the government’s failure to hold anyone accountable. Furthermore, they argued that silence and inaction had only encouraged the attackers.
Therefore, the community appealed to the federal and Kaduna State governments to act. Specifically, they urged security agencies to protect vulnerable villages and bring the killers to justice.
The burial ended with fresh appeals for decisive action. In turn, leaders pressed authorities to prevent the next round of bloodshed.
A toll confirmed over days
Initial reports did not capture the full scale of the tragedy. Subsequently, search and recovery teams found seven more bodies, which raised the toll to nine.
According to Irigwe Youth Movement spokesperson Joseph Yonkpa, the attackers struck late on June 16. He said the raid also left 11 residents injured.
Community sources said the assailants attacked some children with machetes, deepening the community’s trauma. Consequently, families now bury both adults and young children together.
Residents identified the dead, among them Jerry Doctor, Rita Abdullahi and Esther Kefas. In addition, they named more than ten people who survived with injuries.
As a result, community members said such tragedies often go underreported. Indeed, they said survivors frequently feel abandoned despite the scale of the loss.
Still, residents fear the world is not watching. Ultimately, they urged the media, civil society and the government to spotlight communities that face repeated attacks.