Gunmen suspected to be bandits have killed nine persons and injured five others during an attack in Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State.

The incident which occured at about 4:30pm on Sunday, May 17, at Gidan Wawo community, under Guga Ward, left a pregnant woman and a Forest Guard personnel among the deceased victims.

It was learnt that the gunmen had stormed the community in their numbers, and shot sporadically to announce their presence.

They were said to have also shot at persons that tried to resist them, or those who tried to run away from them.

The incident is coming on the heels of a recent peace deal entered into by frontline council areas, including Bakori, with bandits.

While the police command had yet to respond to inquiry on the incident, the lawmaker from the area in the State House of Assembly, Hon. Abdurrahman Kandarawa, confimed the incident to newsmen.

“They killed nine persons, one of them a vigilante grouo member who is part of the uniformed Forest Guard personnel. Also killed was pregnant woman.

“The victims were buried on May 18, and I was at Gidan Wawo and participated in their burial rites. Those wounded, about four or five of them, were taken to hospital for treatment.”

The lawmaker, however, said the gunmen who attacked the community were not those the council area had entered into peace agreement with, but had come from neighbouring Zamfara State.

“The gunmen that attacked the community came from Zamfara state. When they were on their way, we started receiving calls about their movement, but we didn’t know where they were going to attack.”

He added that, “The bandits we entered into peace agreement with are still among us. We are still talking to them, and they still come to town to buy and sell. Our prayer is that God will bring to an end this security situation.”