Gunmen raid farms, kill 50 in Katsina

At least fifty farmers have been killed by gunmen in three villages across Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State.

The gunmen, suspected to be bandits, raided farms in the villages of Yargoje, Gatakawa, and Dan-Nakwabo, shooting sporadically at the farmers, many of whom died on the spot.

While police could not be reached for confirmation of the incident, several eyewitnesses reported to Tribune correspondents that no fewer than fifty dead bodies were counted after the attacks.

An eyewitness, Malam Bello Abubakar Kankara, contacted by phone, narrated how dozens of dead bodies were recovered from the forests in Kankara and Yargoje.

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“Thirteen of the dead bodies were buried this morning, Monday, in Kankara, while dozens of others were buried in Dan-Nakwabo and Yargoje.

The dead bodies, including four mobile police officers who stormed the area to counter the attackers, were stained with blood and had several gunshots on them. The attack has left our people in horror,” he said.

Another resident from Gatakawa village, Malam Iro, described how the gunmen who attacked the village emerged from the forests on bikes, mostly with three persons on each bike, and shot at the farmers.

He added that as they heard gunshots from neighboring villages, the residents made several calls to the local vigilante and some security outposts near Yargoje, but to no avail.

Malam Iro mentioned that he learned the gunmen mobilized more assailants from neighboring Zamfara to commit the crimes. He said the attackers vowed to prohibit farming this season, warning the citizens to stay away from farms.