Some bandits on motorcycles were said to have invaded Kaya village in the Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Saturday and killed no fewer than 19 persons, including the leader of the volunteer team in the area.
It was learnt that about nine persons sustained gunshot injuries in the attack, which started from Friday and lasted till Saturday night.
Houses, shops and motorcycles were reportedly burnt during the attack, which residents described as a reprisal from the bandits.
The Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr Samuel Aruwan, who confirmed the attack on Sunday, said trouble started on Friday (New Year Day) when some bandits attacked Kaya town and kidnapped some locals, including two married women.
Aruwan explained that the bandits were pursued by a combined team of volunteers from Kaya and from Hayin Kaura village of Katsina State.
He added that the bandits, during the confrontation, abducted and killed one Shamsu Umar, a leader of the Kaya volunteers.
According him, the corpse of Umar was found on Saturday after a search in the forest.
Aruwan said on the same day some unidentified persons came across herders, “and in apparent retaliation for the killing of Shamsu Umar, killed four of them.”
The commissioner in a statement titled, ‘Several lives lost in Giwa LGA killings and counter-killings,’ listed the four killed as Musa Lawal, Ibrahim Sani and Haruna Umar as well as Idi Isah
He added that more than 50 bandits on motorcycles each carrying three passengers and wielding Ak-47 rifles stormed Kaya, shooting indiscriminately and killed about 11 locals while scores sustained varying degrees of injury.
