Barely 48 hours after Ibrahim Idris, inspector-general of police (IGP) and Mohammed Mohammed, general officer commanding (GOC), 1 division, Nigerian army, Kaduna, visited Birnin Gwari local government area of Kaduna, suspected bandits have invaded a community in the area, killing 27 persons, including women and children.

After the visit, the IGP ordered the immediate deployment of additional 200 police personnel to Birnin Gwari area.

But the security measure did not prevent the suspects from attacking the area. Many houses were reportedly set ablaze in the attack which occurred around 2:30pm on Saturday.

A source told TheCable that those who dared the gunmen were among people killed.

Members of the Birnin-Gwari Vanguard for Security and Good Governance who pleaded anonymity said the gunmen came in from the neighbouring Zamfara state.

“The armed bandits came from neighbouring Zamfara state and encircled Gwaska up to neighbouring Kuiga village shooting sporadically,” a source said.

“We would continue to appeal to the authorities to take urgent steps to forestall further attacks and extinction of communities in Birnin Gwari local government area.”

The source said many people were still missing and that arrangements were being made to evacuate those who sustained injuries during the attack.

When contacted, Aliyu Mukhtar, spokesman of the Kaduna state police command, promised to get the details and get back but he had not done so as of the time this report was filed.

In March, Zubairu Gwari, emir of Birnin Gwari in Kaduna, asked his subjects to defend themselves against those invading their communities.

Birinin Gwari is one of the 23 local government areas in Kaduna.