A village in Southern Kaduna State, Nigeria, was attacked by militants resulting in the death of 33 people including 14 children and leaving dozens of others injured. The attack, which occurred on April 15, included the beheading of a five-year-old boy. Survivors have reported that approximately 200 militants descended on the village late at night, firing their weapons and setting fire to around 40 houses. The attackers continued their assault for over an hour before leaving and warning the remaining villagers that they would return.
Following the attack, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) condemned the violence and called on the international community to pressure the Nigerian government to put an end to the killing of innocent civilians in the country. The survivors of the attack have reported that soldiers and local vigilantes engaged with the attackers, resulting in some of them losing their lives.
The victims of the attack were buried in a mass grave with distressing scenes as 14 of them were children and one of them was the five-year-old boy who was reportedly beheaded. Several others were burnt beyond recognition. The attack highlights the ongoing conflict between ethnic and religious groups in Nigeria and the need for the government to take decisive action to bring an end to the violence.
As an international human rights organisation, CSW called on the Nigerian government to take swift and decisive action to bring the perpetrators of the attack to justice and to ensure that all civilians in the country are protected from such violence. The organisation has also called on the international community to support efforts to end the violence in Nigeria and to provide humanitarian assistance to those affected by the conflict.