LAGOS, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian police said on Friday they have killed 18 armed bandits who have been wreaking havoc in Birnin Gwari area of northern Kaduna state.
Birnin-Gwari, an area frequently attacked by gunmen in Nigeria's northern state of Kaduna, is 291 kilometers away from the Kaduna city center.
National police spokesperson Jimoh Moshood told reporters that special police force also arrested a gang that was responsible for the killing of some security personnel in Birnin Gwari two months ago.
Moshood said 64 AK47 rifles, ammunition and 11 vehicles were recovered from the bandits during an operation that lasted for several hours.
Increased activities of criminals along the Birnin Gwari-Zamfara road have created fear and anxiety among road users as well as residents of the area.
Last Saturday, armed bandits attacked Gwaska village, killing over 50 people.
The attackers were believed to have entered the village from the northwestern state of Zamfara, a neighboring state to Kaduna.
The gunmen, over 100 in number, came in at least 50 motorcycles. They rode mostly in twos.
Mostly children were killed during the four-hour attack.
