One Killed, 31 Abducted As Bandits Attack Katsina Community

One person identified as Ashiru Siyudi has been killed while about 31 others, mostly women, were abducted after suspected bandits attacked Shuwaki community in Jargaba Ward, Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State.

The attackers reportedly stormed the community on Saturday night and operated for several hours, shooting intermittently, breaking into homes and carting away livestock, food items and other valuables.

Residents told Daily Trust that the assailants, who arrived in large numbers, exploited the darkness to overpower the community and move from house to house in search of animals and valuables.

A resident, who spoke anonymously for security reasons, said the attackers spent almost the entire night in the community and abducted several women.

“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 triggered panic as the bandits fired shots intermittently while searching homes.

According to him, the victims were later gathered at the centre of the community before being taken 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, who previously lived in the community but relocated to Bakori town because of repeated attacks, said the incident reflected the worsening insecurity in northern Bakori.

He said persistent attacks, abductions and destruction of livelihoods had forced many residents to abandon their ancestral homes.

“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 several distress calls during the attack but security personnel were unable to reach the community immediately.

He attributed the delay partly to fears that responding security personnel could be ambushed by the attackers.

“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.

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.