Bandits Kill Nine Farmers, Abduct Several in Fresh Kaduna Attack

 

By Abdulahi Musa 

At least nine farmers have been killed and several others abducted after armed bandits launched a deadly attack on farmlands in Kakangi village, located in the Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The attack occurred on Saturday as farmers were tending to their crops, further highlighting the worsening insecurity across farming communities in northern Nigeria. 

According to a security report prepared for the United Nations and obtained by AFP, the gunmen stormed the farmlands and opened fire on the farmers, killing at least nine people. Six of the victims have been identified by local authorities, while efforts are ongoing to determine the identities of the remaining victims. 

A community leader in Birnin Gwari, Kabiru Ishaq, who visited the affected village, said the death toll could be as high as 10. He added that several residents were also kidnapped during the attack, although the exact number of those abducted remains unknown. 

Residents said the assault was a retaliatory attack after a farmer reportedly killed one of two bandits who attempted to steal his motorcycle earlier that day. The surviving attacker allegedly returned with reinforcements, who carried out the deadly revenge attack on farmers working in nearby fields. 

The latest incident comes despite a peace agreement brokered in November 2024 between communities in Birnin Gwari and armed groups operating in the area. Attacks have, however, continued unabated, with at least six farmers killed and 20 others kidnapped in a similar raid on Danauta village last month. 

Kaduna remains one of the states most affected by banditry in Nigeria, where criminal gangs frequently attack rural communities, kill residents, abduct victims for ransom, and disrupt farming activities, especially during the rainy season.