A 15-year-old girl, Endurance Sabon, has lost her hand following a brutal attack in Goska community, Kaninkon Ward, Kafanchan, Jama’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State, after her family allegedly rejected a marriage proposal by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
A family member said the attackers had earlier approached the girl’s mother on the family farm on Friday morning, demanding that the teenager be given to one of them in marriage. The request was reportedly dismissed as a joke.
According to the source, the assailants later trailed the family from the farm and ambushed them around 6:30 p.m. while they were waiting for a motorcycle to take them home. The attackers reportedly identified the teenager using a torchlight, dragged her into nearby bushes and severed her hand.
The victim was initially taken to the General Hospital in Kafanchan before being referred to a private facility and later to the Jos University Teaching Hospital due to the severity of her injuries.
The family said five suspects have been arrested in connection with the attack, out of an alleged nine-man group. They added that the suspects are known in the area and live close to the farm.
The family has appealed to the Kaduna State Government and security agencies for urgent medical assistance, improved security in the community and the prosecution of those arrested.
Residents of Goska community say the incident has heightened fears over insecurity, forced marriages and violent attacks in the area.
