No fewer than 21 people were killed on Thursday morning when suspected bandits attacked Gurbi village in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State.

WuzupNigeria gathered that the deceased include 17 of the bandits and four villagers.

Eyewitnesses said the suspected bandits had stormed the village about 3am on motorcycles, armed with AK47 rifles, shooting and attacking the villagers.

A local vigilance group, however, defended the villagers until a police team made up of members of Operation Puff Adder arrived and a gun duel ensued.

The four dead villagers were said to have been killed in the process.

Seventeen suspected bandits were said to have been killed in the gun duel that followed while some of them reportedly sustained injuries.

The spokesman for Katsina police command, SP Gambo Isah, confirmed the incident.

He gave the names of dead villagers as Alhaji Sanusi of Yar-Bakaje; Akilu Isuhu of Bawa Gidan Mai Ruwa; Nana Husaini, female, 25 of Unguwar Farin Dutse, Gurbi village and Muntari Sama’ila, 30, of Gidan Korau village, all in Kankara LGA.

“Today being 27/02/2020 at about 03:00hrs, a distress call was received that bandits in their numbers armed with AK 47 rifles stormed Gurbi village, Kankara local government area of Katsina state, killed four persons and rustled large number of domestic animals after they received a fierce resistance by the local vigilante groups,” he said.

” Consequent upon which, the Commissioner of Police, Katsina State Command, CP Sanusi Buba, psc, directed DPO Kankara Division to lead Operation Puff Adder in collaboration with Vigilante groups to the scene.

” The bandits were engaged in a shootout along with some vigilante members. The team succeeded and killed seventeen (17) suspected bandits and recovered eighty cows (80), one hundred and eight sheep and a donkey from the hoodlums earlier carted away from the village and other neighbouring villages.

“During the attack, bandits killed one Alh. Sanusi, m, of Yar-Bakaje, (2) Akilu Isuhu, m, Bawa Gidan Mai Ruwa (3) Nana Husaini, f, aged 25yrs of Unguwar Farin Dutse, Gurbi village and (4) Muntari Sama’ila, m, aged 30yrs of Gidan Korau village all of Kankara LGA of Katsina state while three other persons sustained injuries.

” Some of the bandits managed to escape with gunshots wounds. Operatives are combing the nearby bushes for arrest of the fleeing bandits and recovery of their operational weapons. Investigation is ongoing.”

WuzupNigeria gathered that the deceased include 17 of the bandits and four villagers.