No fewer than 19 persons were yesterday killed by armed bandits at Kutemeshi village of Kuyello District in Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area, PRNigeria reports.

The online news agency reported that the bandits invaded the community in Kaduna State, around 5pm on Saturday.

A youth leader in the community who spoke to PRNigeria in a phone interview disclosed that the slained villagers were buried amid tears in the early hours of Sunday.

The young leader who pleaded anonymity disclosed that residents of adjourning communities in Sabuwa town of Katsina State were among those who attended the funeral ceremony, held around 11am (of today).

For over two hours, which the bandits’ operation lasted, he said the daredevil criminals massacred scores of innocent villagers at the rural community bordering Katsina State, together with Kaya town, and Giwa Local Government of Kaduna State.

According to Bala, 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 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.