The Katsina State Police Command on Monday evening confirmed that bandits killed no fewer than nine residents of Sherere village in the Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State on Sunday evening.

Spokesman for the command, SP Gambo Isah, confirmed the development.

The gunmen were said to have invaded the village on motorcycles and shot sporadically.

A community leader, Dikko Sherere, put the number of killed residents at 10.

But the police spokesman said, “Yes, it is true. Nine, not ten, were killed. They have been evacuated by police and community members. Operation Puff Adder has been deployed in the area to restore sanity and to apprehend the perpetrators.

Local sources in the area said the incident happened when the gunmen who rode on motorcycles stormed the area and opened fire on the villagers leading to the death of the persons and five injured.

The source said the five injured have been transferred from Kankara to the Federal Medical Centre, FMC in the state capital for medical attention.

Another source disclosed that the gunmen also set ablaze shops and vehicles belonging to residents.

Vanguard recalls that weeks back, 14 persons were reportedly killed in a clash between the Armed bandits and members of the vigilante group (7 from both sides) in Tsamiyar Jino village of Kankara local government area of the state.