At least five people have been killed and eight others injured in an attack by suspected armed men in Kuriga, a village in Kaduna State on Friday.
The armed bandits were also said to have carted away over 80 cows from the villagers, who are predominantly herders and farmers.
The Spokesman for the Kaduna State Police Command, Mukhtar Aliyu, confirmed this to Channels Television.
According to him, the gunmen stormed the village on Friday afternoon and opened fire on worshippers inside a mosque while they were observing their prayers.
He further stated that the bandits fled into the nearby bush before the arrival of security operatives.
He, however, said that a combined team of soldiers and mobile policemen have launched a manhunt of the bandits.
Kuriga is a village located along the Birnin Gwari-Kaduna road in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna – an area that has been notorious for deadly attacks by gunmen since the beginning of the year.