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Suspected bandits on Saturday night killed about 14 villagers in Kaya, a village in Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State, when they attacked the community.
The incident happened around 6:30 p.m. when the bandits, said to be on a revenge mission, stormed the small village killing the victims and setting vehicles ablaze.
A resident of the community, who simply identified himself as Suleiman, said nine people sustained injuries.
According to him, earlier on Friday, some vigilantes in the community killed some of the bandits who attacked a neighbouring village.
”The bandits attacked our village in revenge of the killings of their members by our vigilante after abducting and killing one person on 1 and 2 January. So they returned in the night on Saturday in large number on motorcycles and killed 14 people,” he said.
Kaduna Govt confirms killings
Confirming the killings, the Kaduna Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, in a statement, described the killings as counter killings.
He said the military and other security agencies have informed Kaduna State Government that several lives were lost in the attack
He gave the names of the victims as Hudu Shafiu, Madaro Madaki, Ibrahim Hamida, Ibrahim Mohammed Maidoya, Kabiru Maitakalmi, Ibrahim Kayawa.
Others are Danladi Daiyabu, Zubairu Mailemu, Awwalu Yahaya, Audu Sarkar and Maharazu Adamu.
He said three unidentified corpses were also recovered and were said to be drivers in transit from Funtua, Katsina State.
He also said some persons sustained bullet wounds and are receiving medical attention at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH) Shika, Zaria.
Those injured are: Mujahideen Muhammad, Suleiman Mustapha Bashir, Ibrahim Sulaiman, Nuhu Idris, Alkassim Ismail , Nafi’u Sirajo, Musa Magaji, Muhammad Salisu Kaya and Musa Ibrahim.
Mr Aruwan said security agencies confirmed that several shops, five vehicles and some motorcycles were burnt by the attackers.
He said the killings and counter-killings occurred at Kaya community, which shares a boundary with Hayin Kaura village of Dandume Local Government Area of Katsina State.
He said the bandits were fiercely pursued by a combined team of volunteers from Kaya, and from Hayin Kaura village of Katsina State, in keeping with their practice of supporting security efforts in their respective communities.
The commissioner added that Governor Nasir El-Rufai appealed for recourse to the law as the main solution to the violence, killings and counter-killings by aggrieved groups and Individuals.
He said the governor expressed deep concern, and tasked security agencies to carry out extensive investigations into the circumstances leading to the killings.
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