At least four persons have been killed and one person injured after gunmen attacked local farmers in Bakin Kogi village of Kaninkon chiefdom in Southern Kaduna.
It was gathered that the assailants, who are suspected to be herdsmen, carried out the attack at about 9:00 am on Sunday in Jemaa Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
One of the residents of the area said the gunmen ambushed the victims who were returning from their farm and opened fire on them, killing four persons while a woman was injured.
He added that the sound of the gunshots created panic in the community, leaving residents who were attending church service to rush back to their homes for fear of being caught in the attack.
The Kaduna State Police Command has also confirmed the incident.
According to the Police Public Relations Officers, Mr Mukhtar Aliyu, investigation revealed that the armed bandits attacked the victims when they were returning from their farm.
He said those who lost their lives included two men and two women, while a massive manhunt of the killers has commenced.
Aliyu, however, said a combined team of soldiers and policemen have been deployed in the community to forestall further attacks or reprisal.
He also disclosed that the injured woman has been taken to a hospital in Kafanchan for treatment.
Meanwhile, the state government has also reacted to the killings in a statement signed by the spokesman for Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.
In the statement, Governor Nasir El-Rufai condemned the attack and directed the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to immediately visit the community and take necessary steps to relieve human sufferings with immediate effect.
He also commiserated with the victims and people of Bakin Kogi over the attack and assured them that the perpetrators would be soon be apprehended and brought to book.
Prior to the killings, attacks in the southern part of Kaduna State had reduced since 2017 following the deployment of security operatives to the area.