SUSPECTED bandits have killed five farmers in Kakangi community, located in the western part of Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Four of the victims were members of the same family.
The attack occurred on Tuesday evening as the farmers were returning from their fields.
Three other villagers sustained gunshot injuries and are currently receiving treatment at Jibril Mai Gwari General Hospital.
Local sources said the assailants were on a revenge mission after vigilantes from neighbouring Niger State reportedly killed a suspected bandit on Monday.
The vigilantes often accuse bandits from the Birnin Gwari forest of launching cross-border raids into Niger communities.
Convener of the Birnin Gwari–Niger Inter-Border Communities for Peace and Development, Ishaq Usman Kasai, condemned the killings, describing them as unjustified.
He urged local, state, and federal authorities to act swiftly to prevent a collapse of the fragile peace achieved in the region after a peace accord signed in October 2024.
Residents told newsmen that since the accord, the area had witnessed relative calm, with markets reopening and farmers returning to their lands.
However, Tuesday’s killings have reignited fears of renewed violence.
The Kaduna State Commissioner-designate for Information, Ahmed Maiyaki, described the incident as an “isolated attack” carried out by elements from outside the state, insisting that the peace deal, known as the Kaduna Model, remains intact.
Security experts, however, warn that such attacks could undermine confidence in the accord if not urgently addressed.
Criminologist Abel John Bassa stressed the need for community-based policing and genuine engagement with locals, saying lasting peace requires inclusive strategies rather than top-down directives.
Despite the peace agreement, Birnin Gwari continues to grapple with limited infrastructure.
Banks remain shut more than a decade after insecurity forced their closure, restricting residents’ access to financial services even as stability gradually returns.
Police authorities have yet to issue a formal statement on the attack.