Gunmen kill 10 in revenge attack on Nigerian village: police

Nigerian soldiers patrol in the town of Banki in northeastern Nigeria on April 26, 2017. About 300 gunmen invaded Kirtawa village in Katsina state late on July 13, 2019 and killed 10 people. PHOTO | FLORIAN PLAUCHEUR | AFP

What you need to know:

  • The assailants "invaded" Kirtawa village in Katsina state late Saturday, shooting residents and stealing cows, regional police spokesman Gambo Isah said in a statement.
  • Police said the gunmen opened fire on security forces as they arrived on the scene, shooting out the tyres of an armoured vehicle and wounding a soldier and a paramilitary officer, before fleeing.
  • Katsina state has seen a surge in attacks by kidnapping and cattle rustling gangs, prompting villagers to form vigilantes groups to defend themselves.

KANO,

About 300 gunmen raided a village in northwestern Nigeria in a revenge attack, killing 10 people, burning cars and stealing cattle, police said.

The assailants "invaded" Kirtawa village in Katsina state late Saturday, shooting residents and stealing cows, regional police spokesman Gambo Isah said in a statement.

"Ten persons were found dead, five injured," Isah said.

The bandits set fire to five cars and four motorcycles after stealing "an unspecified number of cows", he said.

SURGE

Police said the gunmen opened fire on security forces as they arrived on the scene, shooting out the tyres of an armoured vehicle and wounding a soldier and a paramilitary officer, before fleeing.

The raid was a "reprisal attack" for an earlier assault on the bandits by vigilantes from the village, police said.

Katsina state has seen a surge in attacks by kidnapping and cattle rustling gangs, prompting villagers to form vigilantes groups to defend themselves.

The bandit gangs maintain camps in Rugu forest which straddles Katsina, Zamfara, Kaduna and Niger states.

Last week gunmen killed six people when they raided three villages in Katsina's Kankara district.