Bandits Kill Two, Abduct Six in Katsina Attacks

Armed bandits have shattered fragile peace accords in Katsina State, launching a wave of deadly attacks that killed at least two people and abducted six others in recent days.

According to reports, the assaults, targeting villages across multiple local government areas (LGAs), have reignited fears and cast doubt on the sustainability of community-brokered truces with so-called “repentant” bandits.

Residents express growing despair as killings, abductions, and injuries mount, even as the state government weighs controversial plans to release 70 suspected and convicted bandits in exchange for over 1,000 previously freed hostages.

Officials blame “recalcitrant” bandit leaders like Mani Doro for the resurgence, but locals demand immediate action from security forces.

Resurgence Undermines Hard-Won Peace Efforts

Katsina State has seen relative calm in recent months, thanks to community-driven peace deals blending kinetic military operations with non-kinetic negotiations.

These accords, often initiated by local leaders in high-risk areas like Dandume, Kankara, and Faskari, aimed to foster coexistence between herders, farmers, and armed groups.

Yet, bandits have resumed operations in Dandume, Kankara, Faskari, Jibia, Funtua, Malumfashi, Kurfi, and Dutsin-ma LGAs.

The attacks highlight vulnerabilities in these informal pacts, which lack robust enforcement mechanisms.

Governor Dikko Umaru Radda’s administration attributes the flare-ups to defiant elements rejecting negotiations.

“The recent attacks in Malumfashi were carried out by notorious bandit Mani Doro, operating from Danmusa,” said Maiwada Dammallam, Director-General of Media to the Governor.

“He’s among the few who refuse peace, but security forces are closing in.”

Dammallam credited the state’s hybrid security strategy for prior stability but acknowledged challenges from non-compliant criminals.

Efforts to reach Police Public Relations Officer DSP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu and Commissioner for Internal Security Dr. Nasiru Mu’azu yielded no response.

Timeline of Recent Atrocities: A Pattern Emerges

The attacks follow a grim pattern, with bandits striking at night, using forests for cover, and demanding ransoms.

Here’s a summary table of reported incidents from late 2025 to early 2026, based on resident accounts and media reports:

This escalation threatens food security, as farmers abandon fields amid fear.

Eyewitness Accounts: Panic and Desperation

In Dandume LGA, bandits hit Kirijan, Unguwar Jika, Baraje, Kauran Pawa, and Shugu around midnight on January 22.

They abducted eight, including women and children, while injuring 11.

Eyewitnesses described torchlights piercing the darkness amid sporadic gunfire.

Malam Nura from Baraje told Wahalaupdate: “They stormed at 12 a.m., shooting into homes.

We buried the dead per Islamic rites, but the injured fill Funtua General Hospital.

This violates our peace agreement.”

Kankara saw double blows.

On Sunday night, bandits ambushed a wedding motorcade in Unguwar Nagunda, killing two farmers and wounding the bride and guests.

Ibrahim Hassan recounted: “They fired wildly, abducting 10 guests. Panic spread everywhere.”

Monday brought more horror to Gidan Sarki, where bandits killed two and kidnapped 10, including five couples.

Muhammed Sarki shared: “I called my kidnapped sister; a bandit answered, confirming they held her and her husband.”

Funtua’s Dikke village fell victim Saturday night.

Abubakar Mustapha said: “They ditched motorcycles in the forest, trekked in silently, and took five.

One escaped, but four remain captive.”

In Faskari, farmers in Unguwan Malam Musa and Nadankama lost six to coordinated raids.

Babangida Abdulsalam explained: “Four from one village, two from the other, working fields when bandits struck.

They demand N2.5 million per victim now, down from N14 million, but we can’t pay.”

Controversial Government Response Fuels Debate

The violence coincides with plans to free 70 convicted bandits for 1,000 hostages released under peace deals.

Critics call it risky appeasement, potentially emboldening attacks.

Supporters argue it builds trust for broader disarmament.

Residents plead for protection. “Peace pacts failed because bandits face no consequences,” said a Dandume elder. “We need troops, not talks.”

Experts warn of deeper issues: arms proliferation, porous borders with Niger, climate-driven herder-farmer clashes, and poverty fueling recruitment.

ECOWAS and federal interventions have waned, leaving states like Katsina exposed.

Governor Radda’s team vows intensified operations.

“We’re blending force with dialogue, but recalcitrants like Doro will face justice,” Dammallam affirmed.

Broader Implications for Northwest Security

Katsina’s woes mirror banditry plaguing Zamfara, Sokoto, and Kaduna. Over 1,000 deaths and 2,000 abductions marked 2025, per security trackers.

Renewed attacks risk derailing harvests, inflating food prices, and sparking humanitarian crises.

Communities demand: fortified bases, aerial patrols, community policing, and economic palliatives like youth jobs and farm support.

“Bandits thrive on our despair,” Hassan noted. “Empower us, and insecurity fades.”

As midnight raids continue, Katsina residents brace for more.

Official silence amplifies anxiety, but calls grow louder: Act now, or peace crumbles entirely.