10 killed & dozens abducted and injured in fresh bandit attacks in Katsina state

Terror returned to Katsina State over the weekend as armed bandits unleashed a deadly attack on Gobirawa and Kuki villages in Dutsin-Ma Local Government Area, killing more than ten people, injuring numerous others, and abducting several residents.

The attack, which took place on Saturday night, has plunged the communities into deep mourning and rekindled fears about the growing insecurity in the region, reports Nigerian Tribune.

Eyewitnesses recounted a harrowing scene of violence and destruction. According to a local resident, the bandits stormed the villages unexpectedly, opening fire on residents and setting homes and shops ablaze.

“They came in large numbers, shooting anyone in sight. It was like a war zone,” an anonymous resident told a Tribune correspondent over the phone. More than ten villagers were abducted and taken into the forest by the attackers.

Residents have condemned the government’s failure to protect them, expressing frustration over repeated attacks with no visible intervention from security agents.

“We are living in fear every single day. This has become normal, and yet there is no help from the government,” another villager said.

They called on the Katsina State Government to take immediate action to prevent further loss of life and property.

Despite the severity of the attack, there has been no official statement or reaction from the Katsina State Police Command at the time of filing this report. The silence has further deepened residents’ despair, leaving them feeling abandoned in the face of relentless violence.

A Tribune correspondent stated that the latest attack underscores the escalating security crisis in Katsina and the urgent need for government intervention to restore safety and confidence in rural communities.

Recent Katsina attacks by bandits in Malumfashi and Safana Local Government Areas, which claimed several lives, prompted the government last week to overhaul its security network in an effort to tackle the new wave of violence.