A fresh wave of violence has left a community in deep mourning as heavily armed bandits killed at least nine villagers and abducted dozens during a brutal nighttime raid in Kaduna State.
Eyewitnesses described the attack as one of the most terrifying in recent months, with gunmen firing indiscriminately and torching homes as residents fled for safety.
According to accounts from survivors, the assailants arrived in large numbers and surrounded the village before opening fire from multiple directions.
Panic spread instantly as families scattered into nearby bushes, leaving behind loved ones and belongings.
The tragic incident occurred yesterday in Layin Danauta, a rural settlement in Kuyello Ward of Birnin Gwari Local Government Area.
Locals said the attack lasted for hours, ending only after the bandits had killed nine people, injured several others, and kidnapped an unspecified number of residents.
“They came like an army,” said a terrified resident who spoke to The Guild on condition of anonymity. “No one was spared. They shot at everything that moved and took away women, children, and young men. We are still counting the missing.”
Furthermore, community sources revealed that at least 13 people sustained gunshot wounds and were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Also, search operations were suspended overnight as fear of renewed attacks gripped the area, but local vigilantes and security forces were expected to resume the operation at dawn.
A traditional leader in Birnin Gwari described the assault as “a nightmare that keeps repeating itself,” urging the government to act decisively. “Our people are tired of living in fear,” he lamented. “We bury the dead almost every week, and nothing seems to change.”
Residents said the bodies of the nine victims would be buried on Friday, in line with Islamic rites.
Meanwhile, security sources confirmed that patrols had been intensified in the area to prevent further incursions, even though the Kaduna State Police Command had not released an official statement at press time.
The attack adds to a growing list of violent incidents in Kaduna’s rural communities, where banditry and kidnappings continue to claim lives despite ongoing military operations in the region.
