Residents of Katsina State were thrown into mourning once again after armed bandits stormed a rural community late Tuesday night, killing two village elders and abducting an unspecified number of residents.
The attack, which occurred in the Kankara Local Government Area, is the latest in a series of violent incursions that have continued to plague the northwestern state despite ongoing military operations and government assurances of improved security.
According to local residents, the heavily armed attackers rode into the village around 11:30 p.m., shooting sporadically into the air to scare off resistance before targeting specific homes.
“They came in large numbers on motorcycles,” said a resident who escaped the attack and requested anonymity. “They went straight to the homes of our village heads, accusing them of helping security operatives. Two of them were killed instantly, and many others, including women and children, were taken away.”
Villagers said the gunmen operated for nearly two hours without any immediate response from security forces. Several houses were also reportedly looted and set ablaze before the bandits retreated into the nearby forest.
Community sources identified the slain elders as Mallam Haruna Musa and Alhaji Suleiman Bature, both respected figures known for mediating between farmers and herders in the area.
Their deaths have sparked widespread grief, with several neighboring villages fleeing in fear of renewed attacks. Local vigilantes have since launched a search mission, but the abductors are believed to have fled deep into the Rugu Forest, a known stronghold for armed groups operating across Katsina, Zamfara, and Kaduna States.
A community leader told reporters that over a dozen residents remain missing, while scores of families have sought refuge in nearby towns.
Confirming the attack, a senior security source in Katsina said troops under Operation Hadarin Daji have been deployed to the area to track the perpetrators.
“Yes, there was an incident last night around the Kankara axis. Troops are already on the ground conducting clearance operations,” the officer said. “We are committed to restoring peace, but the terrain and mobility of these bandits make it a complex operation.”
The Katsina State Police Command also confirmed the incident, noting that efforts were ongoing to rescue the abducted residents and prevent further escalation. Police spokesperson ASP Abubakar Aliyu urged residents to remain calm, assuring them that investigations and coordinated actions with local vigilante groups were underway.
Katsina, the home state of former President Muhammadu Buhari, remains one of the worst-hit areas in Nigeria’s banditry crisis. Dozens of communities have been repeatedly attacked over the years, with thousands killed or kidnapped for ransom.
Security analysts warn that the persistence of such violence, despite repeated government promises, highlights a deeper problem of intelligence failure, insufficient troop presence, and inadequate local policing.
“The killings in Katsina reflect a broader failure of strategy,” said Dr. Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, a security analyst based in Kaduna. “Until the government combines military action with socio-economic engagement, we will continue to see these deadly cycles.”
Reacting to the incident, Governor Dikko Umaru Radda condemned the attack and described it as “barbaric and senseless.” He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to working with security agencies to dismantle criminal hideouts across the state.
“The murder of innocent elders and the abduction of citizens will not go unpunished,” the governor said in a statement issued on Wednesday morning. “We are taking decisive steps to ensure those behind this heinous act face justice.”
Governor Radda also urged residents to support local security initiatives and share timely intelligence to aid ongoing operations.
Meanwhile, civil society groups and traditional rulers have renewed calls for greater federal government intervention in the Northwest, warning that unchecked banditry could escalate into a full-blown humanitarian crisis.
“This is no longer just a Katsina problem,” said Sheikh Aminu Ibrahim, a cleric from the region. “It is a national security emergency that threatens food security, trade, and the survival of rural life.”
As communities continue to count their losses, many Nigerians are once again questioning how long such bloodshed will persist in a region that has endured years of violence, displacement, and neglect.
