6 villagers killed by gunmen in northern Nigeria

Gunmen raided three villages in northern Nigeria’s Katsina state, killing six people, a police spokesman said Monday.

The black-clad group, riding on motorcycles, attacked Makers, Dan Sabau and Pawwa villages in Kankara district late Sunday, firing guns and rocket-propelled grenades, Gambo Isah told reporters.

“Six people from the attacked villages were killed but we killed many of the bandits in a shoot-out that lasted for more than an hour,” Isah added.

He said police were combing the bushes for the bodies of the assailants.

Cattle rustling and kidnapping gangs have long operated in this volatile region, but recently, there have been concerns that jihadists have infiltrated them.

The gangs maintain camps in the vast Rugu forest which straddles Katsina, Zamfara, Kaduna and Niger states, from where they launch attacks.

On July 3, bandits killed 18 residents in raids on four villages in Katsina state.