In a rare display of communal defiance, residents of Gurbi community in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State successfully repelled an attempt by bandits to invade their town on Sunday evening, forcing the attackers to retreat.
The victory, however, came at a heavy cost. As the armed men pulled back, they turned their guns on fleeing residents, killing at least 10 people in the nearby Nagodi area.
A resident of the town, who spoke on condition of anonymity for safety reasons, told our reporter that the bandits arrived earlier in the evening but were met with stiff resistance.
“They could not enter the town because we gathered to protect our village,” the resident said according to Daily Trust. “But when they realised they couldn’t break through, they turned towards those running away. They shot them at close range.”
He added that the corpses of the 10 victims were later transported back to Gurbi after the bandits had left the scene.
In a troubling revelation, the resident disclosed that security operatives had been alerted when the community first got wind of the planned attack. “We had earlier alerted them when we heard the rumour, but they did not respond until after our people were killed,” he lamented. “Only then did they arrive and begin evacuating the bodies.”
Another source close to the palace of the Gurbi community leader confirmed that the bandits failed to enter the village. “They could not break the resolve of the people,” the source said, “but they succeeded in attacking those who became scared and fled.”
The incident is the latest in a renewed wave of banditry in Kankara Local Government Area. Just three days ago, bandits attacked Zangon Kankara, setting two houses and a car ablaze and abducting two people.
As of the time of filing this report, no official statement had been issued by the Katsina State Police Command or the office of the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Dr. Nasiru Mu’azu.
This is a developing story.
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