The Roman Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan on Saturday conducted a mass burial for 27 of the 30 residents killed in the recent attack on Naridon village in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Three of the victims had earlier been laid to rest before the solemn funeral, which was attended by grieving families, clergy and sympathisers.
The victims were killed after suspected terrorists attacked Naridon, a farming community along the Kaduna–Plateau border, at about 11 p.m. last Sunday. The assailants reportedly opened fire on residents, set several houses ablaze and abducted an unspecified number of people.
Addressing mourners during the burial, Julius Yakubu Kundi said the decision to line up the coffins side by side was intentional, describing it as a stark reminder of the scale of the tragedy and the country’s failure to protect innocent citizens.
“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,” the bishop said.
He expressed condolences to the bereaved families, especially parents who lost children and other loved ones, describing their pain as immeasurable.
The latest attack has renewed concerns over the worsening security situation in communities along the Kaduna–Plateau border, where residents have repeatedly come under attacks by armed groups.
Meanwhile, Bola Ahmed Tinubu condemned the killings and directed security agencies to apprehend those responsible. The President also extended his condolences to the Kaduna State Government and the families of the victims, describing the attack as heinous and unacceptable.
As of the time of filing this report, security agencies had not announced any arrests in connection with the incident.
