Bandits Kill Nine Farmers in Fresh Kaduna Bloodbath, Abduct Several in Birnin-Gwari Attack

At least nine farmers have been killed and several others abducted after armed bandits launched a violent attack on communities in the Birnin-Gwari Emirate of Kaduna State on Saturday afternoon, in one of the latest deadly incidents to hit the troubled region.

Residents said the attack began around 3 p.m while farmers were working on their fields, exposing once again the vulnerability of rural communities that continue to come under repeated assaults by armed groups operating in the area.

According to local accounts, the violence was triggered after a failed attempt by two armed men to snatch a farmer’s motorcycle. The incident reportedly turned fatal when one of the attackers was killed during the struggle.

A resident, Ibrahim Garba, said the surviving bandit fled and returned later with reinforcements.

“The other bandit fled and returned with a heavily armed gang that unleashed a ruthless assault on farmers working in the vicinity,” he said.

The reprisal attack left at least nine farmers dead. Community sources confirmed that the bodies of the victims were recovered from the fields, while several other villagers remain unaccounted for following the assault.

Although authorities have not yet issued an official statement, residents said the identities of six victims have been confirmed, while three others remain unidentified. Those named include Habibu Danko, Zaharaddin Musa Gumu, Maibaka Mayana, Umar Maibaka, Yusufu Dankatakaki and Shaf’iu Kagadama.

Search-and-rescue operations led by local vigilantes were reportedly suspended as night fell over the difficult terrain, with plans to resume on Sunday morning. There are growing fears that more victims could still be trapped in surrounding bushes or may have been taken away by the attackers.

Another resident, Ishaq Kasai, said the situation reflects the worsening insecurity in the area, noting that attacks have become increasingly frequent and coordinated.

The latest incident follows a similar attack just a day earlier, when a man identified as Ya’u Gayam was killed along the Birnin-Gwari–Kaduna road and his motorcycle stolen.

Birnin-Gwari remains one of the hardest-hit areas in Kaduna State’s long-running banditry crisis, with armed groups exploiting forest routes to launch repeated attacks on farming communities, travellers, and rural settlements.

As of press time, neither the Kaduna State Police Command nor the Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs had issued an official response to the latest killings.