Kaduna state security council said it has deployed troops to Ungwan Pa-Gwandara in Jema’a local government area of Kaduna state, as unidentified gunmen allegedly killed 12 persons in the village at the weekend.
Reports from the area said that, 21 other persons were seriously injured during the attack by the gunmen.
Eyewitness account claimed that, at about 7:30pm to 8pm heavily armed herdsmen invaded the community during a wedding ceremony and opened fire killing 12 people instantly.
The news about the deployment of the troops to troubled community was contained in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Nasir el-Rufai on Media and Publicity, Samuel Aruwan, on Monday and made available to Blueprint
The statement maintained that troops have been deployed to the troubled communities to guard against recurrence of the attack.
According to the statement, the deployment of troops is intended to further secure the area and provide the atmosphere for extensive investigation of the sad incident, and the apprehension and prosecution of the culprits.
Quoting the Governor, the statement said, “criminal elements must not be allowed to divide people and wantonly take lives. The Governor has sent a message of condolence to the community, expressing his deep sadness at the loss of lives and his sympathy for the victims and their families.”
He urged anybody with useful information on the attack to kindly contact and make same available to the security agencies near them.
“The governor has also directed Jema’a local government council and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to, as a matter of urgency, work towards taking care of victims receiving medical attention and provide relief materials to the community,” he added.
