Armed bandits attacked local communities in the Birnin-Gwari Emirate of Kaduna State on Saturday afternoon, killing at least nine farmers and abandoning an unspecified number of villagers. The attacks began around 3 p.m. while local peasants were tending to their crops, according to local sources.
Failed Robbery Triggered Bloodshed
The bloodshed was triggered by a failed robbery attempt in which two armed bandits attempted to snatch a farmer's motorcycle. A resident, Ibrahim Garba, said the incident ended in the death of one of the bandits. “The other bandit fled and returned with a heavily armed gang that unleashed a ruthless assault on farmers working in the vicinity,” Mr Garba said.
Nine bodies have been recovered from the fields so far. While the identities of three victims remain unknown, local authorities confirmed the names of six of the deceased: Habibu Danko, Zaharaddin Musa Gumu, Maibaka Mayana, Umar Maibaka, Yusufu Dankatakaki, and Shaf’iu Kagadama.
Abductions and Search Operations
The bandits also abducted many farmers, with residents fearing some had been killed. Mr Garba said search-and-rescue operations, led by local vigilantes, were shelved as night fell over the difficult terrain. Another resident, Ishaq Kasai, Safety and Security Consultant for the Northwest and former Chairman of the Birnin-Gwari Emirate Progressive Union (BEPU), said the search for more bodies or survivors would resume on Sunday.
Rising Tide of Violence
Residents said this latest massacre followed another attack on Friday, when armed bandits killed a man identified as Ya’u Gayam on the Birnin-Gwari–Kaduna Road and stole his motorcycle. “The situation is becoming unbearable. Our people cannot even go to their farms without facing the threat of attack,” the distraught resident, Mr Garba, lamented.
On 23 June, this newspaper reported how bandits killed nine farmers in the Kuyello District of Birnin Gwari. The Birnin-Gwari axis is one of the worst-hit areas by banditry in Kaduna State, with the terrorists taking advantage of the surrounding forests. As of the time of filing this report, the police and the state Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs had yet to comment on the latest development.
