Not fewer than 11 persons were reportedly killed in a fresh attack launched by armed bandits on nine villages of Kankara Local Government Area in Katsina State.

Bandits on 133 highways This was as angry residents in the area staged a protest with corpse of persons killed barricading for hours major highway linking to major parts of the state (the state capital and the southern part (Funtua axis).

Information gathered by our correspondent revealed that the bandits stormed the area by 5pm on Saturday evening and launched the attack on the villages.

Villages attacked include Pauwa, Katoge, Danhayi, Gidan Guge, Kaurawa, Jan Bago, Kadanya, Gidan Kwaki and Lambar Kantoma. Locals said the eleven persons killed – eight (8) and three (3) in Katoge and Yar kuka villages respectively.

It was gathered that the protesters took the corpse to the palace of Sarkin Pauwan Katsina, Alhaji Yusuf Lawal and later to the Chairman of Kankara local government area, Hon. Anas Isah Kankara upon which they pleaded with the persons who succumb to the plea and funeral prayer was observed on the corpse and buried.

It was also gathered that the residents repelled the attack of the bandit in another village where they succeeded in killing two of the bandits.

The protest by the angry residents who barricaded the roads for hours also left commuters traveling along the route stranded as a result of a traffic jam. It took the intervention of security personnel to restore calm and open up the road while others diverted to take another route. Information gathered by our correspondent also revealed that the Internally Displaced Persons camp in the area have been overcrowded with persons who stormed the camp to seek refuge. Meanwhile, the Katsina State Police Command is yet to make any official comments on the development as effort to get the Commands spokesperson, SP Gambo Isah comment on the incident proved abortive. (Vanguard)