Seven killed as Kaduna bandits, illegal miners clash

Kaduna map

At least seven persons were feared dead on Thursday following a clash between suspected bandits and a group of illegal miners in Kuyello Ward, Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Saturday PUNCH gathered that the incident, which occurred around 11am, threw the usually quiet community into panic as gunshots echoed across the area, forcing residents to flee into the surrounding bushes for safety.

Kuyello, located in the eastern part of Birnin Gwari, shares boundaries with Zamfara and Katsina states—areas notorious for banditry and illegal mining that have long undermined security in the region.

Residents who claimed to have witnessed the incident told Saturday PUNCH that the confrontation started after a suspected bandit demanded levies from illegal miners operating in the area, sparking a dispute that led to his death.

A community leader living close to the area of the incident said the slain bandit had arrived from neighbouring Zamfara State to extort money from the miners, but the encounter turned fatal.

Speaking with our correspondent on condition of anonymity because of security concern, the community leader said, “He came demanding payment from the miners as he always did, but this time they refused. An argument broke out and he was killed. They buried his body in a shallow grave.

“When his gang members heard of it, they stormed Kuyello in broad daylight, shooting indiscriminately. By the time it ended, seven people were dead, including some of the miners.” Punch