At least nine farmers have been killed and several others abducted after armed bandits attacked Kakangi village in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
According to an AFP report citing a security document prepared for the United Nations, the attackers stormed farmlands on Saturday, opening fire on farmers working in their fields.
The report said nine bodies had been recovered, with six victims identified by local authorities.
However, a community leader in Birnin Gwari, Kabiru Ishaq, who visited the village after the attack, said the death toll stood at 10.
Both the security report and the community leader said the assault was a reprisal following the killing of a suspected bandit by local farmers during a failed robbery attempt earlier in the day.
According to the report, the slain bandit's accomplice returned with additional armed men and carried out the retaliatory attack, killing farmers and abducting several residents.
Birnin Gwari has remained one of the areas hardest hit by bandit violence in Kaduna State despite a peace agreement reached in November 2024 between local authorities and armed groups.
The district has continued to witness attacks targeting farming communities, particularly during the rainy season when residents return to their farms.
Last month, at least six farmers were reportedly killed and 20 others abducted in an attack on Danauta village, also in Birnin Gwari.
Armed groups operating across parts of northern and central Nigeria have repeatedly targeted rural communities, carrying out killings, kidnappings for ransom and attacks on farms, disrupting agricultural activities and worsening insecurity in affected areas.
