Several people are feared dead and many houses have been destroyed after gunmen attacked Chawai community in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The attack, which occurred on Sunday night, forced residents to flee their homes amid fears of further violence.

A resident, Mark Vincent, said about 50 armed men invaded the community at nightfall and went from house to house shooting residents for nearly three hours before fleeing.

According to him, 28 bodies had been deposited in a mortuary, two victims had already been buried, while seven others were receiving treatment for gunshot wounds.

Vincent rejected claims that the incident was a farmer-herder clash, insisting that the victims were attacked and killed inside their homes.

The casualty figures could not be independently verified, and the Kaduna State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement as of the time of filing this report.

Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, said a statement would be released in due course.

Meanwhile, the Kaduna State Government condemned the attack, describing it as an assault on Naridon village in Kamaru Ward, a border community between Kaduna State and Ganawuri in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State.

Governor Uba Sani directed security agencies to intensify efforts to apprehend those responsible and ordered the State Emergency Management Agency to provide relief materials to affected families.

In a statement, the Commissioner for Information, Ahmed Maiyaki, said the state government was collaborating with the Plateau State Government, security agencies and traditional institutions to strengthen security along the shared border. He urged residents to remain calm and provide credible information to security agencies.

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, condemned the attack, describing the killings as heartbreaking and blaming the recurring violence on the government’s failure to adequately protect lives and property.

He called for a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s security architecture, stressing that safeguarding vulnerable communities should remain a top priority.

The Southern Kaduna Peoples’ Union (SOKAPU) also condemned the attack, urging the deployment of Mobile Police and counter-terrorism units to vulnerable communities and forest corridors, alongside intelligence-driven operations and sustained patrols.

Similarly, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Kaduna State, Usman Shehu Bawa, described the killings as barbaric and called for the immediate deployment of additional security personnel to Kauru and other flashpoints.

He also demanded a thorough investigation, prosecution of the perpetrators, humanitarian assistance for survivors and stronger grassroots intelligence gathering by traditional rulers to improve security across affected communities.