The remains of some of the massacred villagers before their burial

Details are emerging on how armed bandits killed 19 people at Birnin Gwari and Kajuru local government areas of Kaduna State on Saturday.

The bandits invaded the communities in Kaduna State, around 5pm on Saturday.

Mr Samuel Aruwan, Kaduna Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, in a statement  on Sunday, in Kaduna said the villagers were killed by bandits at Kutemeshi village in Birnin Gwari and Kujeni village in Kajuru, where several others were left with bullet wounds.

Some shops were also looted with valuable items carted away, he added.

He also disclosed that some of the injured persons had been moved to a neighboring state closer to Kutemeshi, for urgent medical attention, while others were transported to the Orthopaedic hospital in Kaduna.

” So far, the corpses of 14 victims have been recovered from Kutemeshi.

“The Kaduna State Government will provide updates on any emerging developments.

“In Kujeni village of Kajuru LGA, the attackers burnt several houses, stores with foodstuff, warehouses loaded with building materials and a Church,” Aruwan said.

However, quoting a youth leader in the community, PRNigeria  reported that for over two hours the daredevil criminals massacred scores of innocent villagers at the rural communities.

According to the youth leader, 10 persons sustained gunshot injuries, even as many who fled the attack are still missing.

“We called severally for security reinforcement, but only a handful of volunteer-vigilantes came to our rescue around 7.00 pm, after the bandits had fled to bush. In fact, it was today (Sunday) that armed security finally stormed our community,” he said.

He added that the slain villagers were buried amid tears on Sunday, with residents of adjourning communities in Sabuwa town of Katsina State among those who attended the funeral ceremony, held around 11am.

He called on both the Federal and State Government to deploy massive security personnel to check the spate of brutal attacks persistently launched by gunmen at vulnerable communities in Kaduna State.

Hours after the gruesome raid at Kutemeshi, some group of women besieged the palace of the Birnin-Gwari Emir, protesting the wanton killing of their husbands by bandits, in recent times.

Over 30 communities around Randagi, the Southern part of Birnin-Gwari, have been sacked by bandits, with thousands also displaced in the last 48 hours.

“At the moment, there are five thousand refugees from the affected areas in Birnin-Gwari town,” a security source told PRNigeria.