Breaking: 9 Farmers Killed, Many Kidnapped as Bandits Attack Top Northern State
- Bandits raided farmlands outside Kakangi village in Birnin Gwari district on Saturday, shooting farmers as they worked in their fields
- A UN-prepared security report confirmed nine bodies recovered, while a local community leader put the death toll at 10 and said several others were kidnapped
- The attack was carried out as revenge after farmers killed a bandit during a failed robbery attempt earlier the same day
At least nine farmers were killed and several others kidnapped after bandits stormed farmlands on the outskirts of Kakangi village in Kaduna State's Birnin Gwari district on Saturday, July 4.
This was contained in a security report prepared for the United Nations and seen by AFP.
The document stated that gunmen swept into the fields and opened fire on farmers while they were working, with six of the nine recovered bodies identified by local authorities.
Source: Twitter
Kabiru Ishaq, a community leader in Birnin Gwari, who travelled to the village to pay his condolences, put the number of dead at 10.
Revenge attack after bandit killed by farmers
Both the security report and Ishaq attributed the raid to a retaliatory motive, Punch reported.
Earlier on the same day, farmers had killed a bandit during a failed robbery attempt.
The attacker's accomplice subsequently gathered reinforcements and launched an assault on the community, according to the UN-prepared document.
Birnin Gwari district, located roughly 60 kilometres from Kaduna's capital, has faced a persistent pattern of such attacks despite a peace deal brokered by local authorities in November 2024 between farming communities and bandit groups.
The agreement has done little to stem the violence. Just last month, at least six farmers were killed and 20 others abducted in a similar raid on Danauta village within the same district.
Northern Nigeria farming communities under siege
The attack in Kakangi falls within a broader surge in violence that typically intensifies during the annual rainy season, when farmers are most active in their fields, Leadership reported.
Across northern and central Nigeria, criminal gangs and jihadist groups have routinely imposed levies on farming communities, launching raids on villages that refuse to comply. These attacks frequently involve killings, kidnappings for ransom, looting and the burning of homes.
Kaduna State remains among the most affected states in the country, with Birnin Gwari district in particular recording some of the heaviest losses in recent years.
Sokoto: Bandit kill village head
The Village Head of Kulodo, Alhaji Abubakar Tudu, his eldest son, Abubakar Abubakar, and four other residents have been killed by armed bandits in Sokoto State.
The terrorists attacked while residents were observing the Asr prayer in the Bodinga local government area of Sokoto state.
Source: Legit.ng
