Not less than six people have been reportedly feared dead while 40 others abducted by bandits in the Birnin Gwari Local Government Area (LGA) of Kaduna State.

This development was revealed by the Chairman of Birnin-Gwari Emirate Progressives Union (BEPU), Ishaq Usman Kasai in a statement on Saturday.

Although the police and the Kaduna State Government have yet to comment on the incident, the attack was said to have happened between Wednesday and Thursday this week.

Kasai explained that all six victims were farmers, including the Vice Chairman of the Jama’atul Izalatul Bid’ah Wa Iqamatus-Sunnah, Mallam Yakubu Muhammad Bugai.

He further disclosed that about 40 other farmers were also abducted by the bandits in separate attacks.

According to the statement, the Islamic cleric was shot in his abdomen on his farmland located around the Rema area and was later evacuated and taken to Jibril Mai-Gwari General Hospital.

The BEPU chairman stated that the bandits abducted scores of locals around the Kuyambana Forest which he said serves as hideouts for the bandits.

The bandits were said to have also invaded Unguwan Danfulani village, killing one person and kidnapping seven family members. The criminals later kidnapped six traders along the western part of the Birnin-Gwari Weekly Market.