One Killed, 31 Abducted In Fresh Bandit Attack On Katsina Community

One person Simply identified as Ashiru Siyudi has been killed and about 31 people, mostly women, abducted after dozens of suspected bandits invaded Shuwaki community in Jargaba Ward of Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State.

The attackers, who reportedly stormed the community on Saturday night, also rustled an unspecified number of livestock and carted away food items and other valuables during the attack.

Residents told Daily Trust that the bandits operated for several hours under the cover of darkness, shooting indiscriminately, assaulting residents and moving from house to house in search of animals and valuables.

A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said the attackers arrived in large numbers and took advantage of the darkness to overwhelm the community.

“They spent almost the entire night in the village. They moved from one house to another, looking for animals, food and other valuables. They also abducted women and took them away,” the source said.

Another resident, Aminu Magaji, said the attack created panic among villagers as the assailants reportedly fired shots intermittently while searching homes.

He said the victims were eventually assembled at the centre of the community before being marched into the bush.

“They gathered the people they had abducted at the village centre and later took them away. We were helpless because the attackers were many and heavily armed,” Magaji said.

Garba Hassan Shuwaki, a resident who relocated to Bakori town because of persistent attacks in the area, said the latest incident demonstrated the worsening security situation facing communities in northern Bakori.

Hassan said many residents had already abandoned their ancestral homes because of repeated attacks, abductions and the destruction of livelihoods.

“I left Shuwaki and relocated to Bakori town because of the insecurity. People are no longer sleeping peacefully in their homes. The attacks have become too frequent and residents are living in fear,” he said.

A community leader, Guga Muhammad, said residents made repeated distress calls during the attack but security personnel could not immediately reach the community.

According to him, the security challenge was compounded by fears that the responding personnel could be ambushed by the bandits along the route.

“People called for help, but the security personnel were afraid of being ambushed. The attackers had already taken control of the area and were operating for hours,” he said.

The incident has renewed concerns over the effectiveness of existing security arrangements in northern Bakori, where communities have continued to experience attacks despite an earlier peace agreement reportedly reached with some bandit groups operating in the area.

Residents said the persistence of attacks has undermined confidence in the peace initiative and left farming communities particularly vulnerable.

The latest attack also comes barely a week after suspected bandits invaded neighbouring Guga community in Bakori Local Government Area, killing members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and a member of the local Community Watch Corps.

The repeated attacks have raised questions about the adequacy of security patrols across remote communities and the roads linking the affected areas.

Residents and community leaders also called for a coordinated security strategy involving the police, military, other security agencies and community-based security structures to prevent further attacks.

They urged authorities to increase patrols along major and feeder roads in northern Bakori, particularly routes connecting vulnerable communities, to deny bandits freedom of movement and reduce the risk of ambushes.

The residents further called for stronger community-based intelligence gathering and improved communication between local communities and security agencies to ensure that distress calls receive rapid response.

Of immediate concern, however, is the fate of the abducted women.

Residents appealed to the security agencies and the Katsina State Government to intensify efforts to locate the victims and secure their immediate and safe release, warning that prolonged captivity could expose them to further danger.

They also appealed to the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to treat the protection of lives and property in vulnerable communities as an urgent national security priority.

They said communities should not be left at the mercy of armed groups simply because they are located in remote areas, stressing that the continued displacement of residents was threatening farming, trade and other economic activities.

When contacted, the spokesperson for the Katsina State Police Command, DSP Sadik Aliyu, said he was still verifying the report.

He promised to make the outcome of the investigation public upon completion.(Daily trust)