Not fewer than 18 persons have been reported dead in killings and counter killings that occurred in Giwa local government area of Kaduna central senatorial district.

The killings and counter killings occurred at Kaya Community, which shares a boundary with Dandume local government area of Kaduna State.

According to the security report which was signed by the commissioner of internal security and home affairs Mr Samuel Aruwan, the violence began on the first of January when armed bandits attacked Kaya town and kidnapped locals including two married women.

The bandits were then pursued by a combined team of volunteers from Kaya town and from Hayin Kaura village of Katsina state. 

The bandits in the curse of the confrontation kidnapped and killed Shamsu Umar, the leader of volunteers vigilantes in Kaya and his corpse was later found on the 2nd of January.

Following the recovery of the corpse, unidentified persons came across some herders, and in retaliation for the killings of Shamsu Umar killed four of them.

Yesterday, at about 6:30 over 50 motorcycles carrying three armed men with AK 47 rifles storm Kaya town in Giwa local government and began shooting sporadically which resulted in the death of eleven locals of Kaya Community.

Three unidentified corpses were also recovered. Similarly, nine persons sustained bullet wounds and have been receiving treatment at ABU teaching hospital Zaria.