President Bola Tinubu has described the overnight killing of thirty people, including women and children, in Southern Kaduna as an unprovoked act of terror against defenseless citizens, and has directed security agencies to pursue those responsible and rescue any abducted victims.
The attack took place in Naridon Village, in the Kamaru Ward of Kauru Local Government Area, where residents were reportedly killed in their sleep and homes were set ablaze. An unspecified number of villagers were abducted before the attackers fled.
In a statement issued through his adviser on information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the president said he had instructed the armed forces, police and intelligence agencies to intensify operations in the affected areas, track down the perpetrators, secure the release of abducted individuals and restore calm. He also urged local communities to cooperate with security forces by sharing actionable intelligence.
While security in Kaduna State has generally improved under Governor Uba Sani, isolated attacks have continued to occur, drawing condemnation from civil society groups and international observers who have called for stronger protection of vulnerable communities.
Separately, the president told a visiting delegation from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria that Nigeria’s security architecture is being repositioned through improved intelligence gathering, expanded forces, new equipment and better welfare for personnel. He pledged that his government would defeat terrorism and asked religious leaders to use their platforms to support that effort.
Tinubu also addressed the economy, telling the bishops that Nigeria has moved away from the fear of bankruptcy that existed when he took office and that prosperity is now on the horizon. He pointed to continued disbursement of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund as evidence of sustained investment in citizens’ welfare, and noted that university disruptions caused by strikes have eased.
On the 2027 elections, the president said INEC has remained neutral and that any politicians raising concerns about the process may simply be uneasy about their own prospects.
Meanwhile, the Defence Intelligence Agency confirmed the death of one of its senior officers, Colonel A. A. Ude, who was killed by unidentified assailants at his residence in the Kurudu area of Abuja on the night of July 27. The agency said investigations are underway and pledged to bring those responsible to justice.
