Residents of Gurbi community in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State have repelled a bandit attack, though no fewer than 10 people were reportedly killed during the incident, eyewitnesses and local sources have said.
The attackers were said to have stormed the community in the evening, but were prevented from entering the village after residents quickly mobilised and mounted resistance to block their advance.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the community’s swift response forced the assailants to retreat from the main settlement.
“They could not enter the village because people gathered to defend themselves. But while retreating, they attacked fleeing residents and shot them at close range. More than 10 people were killed,” the source said.
The source added that the victims were initially attacked around Nagodi, a nearby settlement, before their bodies were later moved back to Gurbi.
“As I speak, there are over 10 corpses in Nagodi area. After the attackers left, the bodies were taken to Gurbi,” the resident added.
Another community source close to the palace of the village head confirmed that while the attackers failed to breach Gurbi, they targeted residents who attempted to escape the scene in panic.
The source said the confusion created by the attempted invasion led many residents to flee, making them vulnerable to attack along escape routes.
Residents also accused security operatives of delayed response despite prior intelligence warnings.
“We had earlier alerted security operatives when we heard rumours of the attack, but there was no response until after the killings. They only arrived later to evacuate the bodies,” the resident said.
The Kankara axis has witnessed a resurgence of banditry attacks in recent weeks. Barely three days earlier, armed men reportedly attacked Zangon Kankara, where houses and a vehicle were set ablaze and two persons were abducted.
As of the time of filing this report, police authorities and the Katsina State Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs had yet to issue an official statement on the latest incident.
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