At least nine farmers have been killed and several others abducted after armed men attacked Kakangi village in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
According to a security report seen by AFP, the attackers stormed farmlands on Saturday and opened fire on farmers while they were working.
The report said nine bodies had been recovered, with six of the victims already identified by local authorities.
A community leader in Birnin Gwari, Kabiru Ishaq, however, put the death toll at 10.
He said the attack was believed to be a reprisal after farmers earlier killed a suspected bandit during an attempted robbery.
According to the security report, the slain bandit’s accomplice later returned with more armed men, who launched the deadly retaliation.
The latest attack comes weeks into the rainy season, a period when bandit groups often intensify assaults on farming communities, demanding levies from residents and targeting those who refuse to comply.
Despite a peace agreement brokered between local authorities and armed groups in November 2024, Birnin Gwari has continued to witness violent attacks.
Last month, gunmen reportedly killed six farmers and abducted about 20 others during a raid on Danauta village in the same local government area.
Kaduna remains one of the states most affected by banditry in northern Nigeria, with armed gangs frequently attacking rural communities, killing residents, kidnapping victims for ransom, looting homes and setting properties ablaze.
