The Catholic Bishop of Kafanchan Diocese, Most Rev. Julius Yakubu Kundi, on Monday delivered a scathing indictment of government over the worsening insecurity in Southern Kaduna, declaring that authorities had failed in their constitutional duty to protect citizens as 30 victims of a deadly terrorist attack were laid to rest.
Speaking during a mass burial for 27 victims of last Sunday’s attack on Naridon community in Kauru Local Government Area, the bishop said the victims “should not have died,” insisting their deaths symbolised the state’s inability to safeguard innocent lives.
Three other victims had been buried earlier, bringing the death toll from the attack to 30.
In one of the most emotional moments of the funeral, rows of coffins were displayed before grieving families, traditional rulers, clergy and residents as mourners wept openly.
Kundi said the arrangement of the coffins was deliberate.
“I deliberately asked for the coffins to be lined up like this, so it will be evidence for us and all of Nigeria that we failed to protect them. They should not have died now,” he said.
The bishop urged the Federal Government and security agencies to move beyond condemnations and take decisive action to halt the recurring attacks on rural communities across Southern Kaduna.
He also sympathised with families who lost loved ones, particularly parents forced to bury their children and households that lost their breadwinners, urging residents not to surrender to despair despite the persistent violence.
The victims were killed when suspected terrorists reportedly stormed Naridon village around 11 p.m. last Sunday, opening fire on sleeping residents, setting homes ablaze and abducting an unspecified number of people before fleeing.
The attack displaced many survivors, destroyed homes and reignited concerns over the deteriorating security situation in communities along the Kaduna-Plateau border, where killings, kidnappings and destruction of farmlands have become recurrent.
President Bola Tinubu and Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani have condemned the killings, describing the attack as heinous and unacceptable.
Tinubu directed security agencies to hunt down those responsible and ensure they face justice, while both leaders extended condolences to the bereaved families and pledged renewed efforts to restore peace to the affected communities.
Community leaders, however, renewed calls for stronger military deployment to vulnerable rural areas, intensified operations against armed groups operating around the Kaduna-Plateau axis and urgent efforts to rescue those still missing after the attack.
As of the time of filing this report, security agencies had not announced any arrests in connection with the killings, while efforts to locate and rescue abducted residents were said to be ongoing.