The village head, Mati Bukadi, was among hundreds of residents who fled for safety, taking refuge at Safana council headquarters and leaving the aged behind.
A community leader, Alhaji Adamu, said since he was aged and could not run, he decided to stay behind.
He said the gunmen launched the attack around 4 p.m. and spent about three hours ransacking the community, burning down houses and silos before the arrival of the vigilante members from a neighbouring community.
Adamu said those who died were mostly members of the vigilante group ”who came to assist.”
”At Jar Kuka community, one was killed; at Daulai community, one person died; at Mai-jaura community they recorded five casualties,” he said. ”Also, at Kwanar Dutse community, two persons killed, while at Kabuke community, the prime target of the gunmen, two persons died.”
”They have virtually ransacked the whole community leaving behind nothing but trauma and agony,” he added.
In Zamfara State, 15 people were killed following a retaliatory clash between armed herders and members of the vigilante group on Sunday morning in Maradun Local Government Area.