Residents of Gurbi community in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State have successfully repelled an attempted invasion by armed bandits, forcing the attackers to withdraw after meeting stiff resistance, according to local sources.
Community Mobilizes to Defend Homes
According to a resident who spoke on condition of anonymity, the attackers arrived in the evening but were unable to penetrate the town as locals quickly mobilized to defend their homes. The collective effort of villagers prevented the assailants from gaining access to Gurbi, prompting them to abandon their initial plan, as reported by Daily Trust.
Fleeing Residents Targeted in Nearby Village
Unable to breach the community, the attackers reportedly turned their attention to residents who had fled towards nearby areas. The source disclosed that the bandits opened fire on the fleeing individuals, resulting in multiple fatalities. "As I speak to you now, there are more than 10 corpses in Nagodi area which is a village in front of Gurbi. After they left, the dead bodies were transported back to Gurbi," he said. A second source, close to the palace of the community leader, corroborated that the attackers failed to enter Gurbi but confirmed the deadly assault on fleeing residents, according to Leadership.
Delayed Security Response Raises Concerns
The resident further criticized what he described as a delayed response from security agencies, noting that prior warnings had been issued before the attack. "We had earlier alerted security operatives when we heard rumour of the attack, but they did not respond until after our people were killed. Only then did they arrive and begin evacuating the bodies," he added.
Kankara Remains Flashpoint for Banditry
Kankara Local Government Area has witnessed a resurgence of bandit attacks in recent days. Just three days earlier, suspected bandits struck Zangon Kankara, setting two houses and a vehicle ablaze and abducting two residents. As of the time of filing this report, authorities, including the police and the office of the State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Nasiru Mu'azu, have yet to issue an official statement on the latest incident.
