By Deborah Nnamdi
Tragedy struck again in Katsina State as armed bandits, on Tuesday night, invaded Doguwar Ɗorawa, a community located barely two kilometres from Guga in Bakori Local Government Area, killing two elderly community leaders and abducting several residents.
The latest assault, which residents described as “gruesome and heartbreaking,” adds to the series of violent attacks that have plagued the region — despite the Katsina State Government’s much-publicised peace accord with the criminal gangs operating in the area.
Confirming the incident in a telephone interview on Wednesday, a community leader in nearby Guga, Mahadi Danbinta Guga, said the victims — identified as Alhaji Bishir and his brother, Alhaji Surajo — were among the most respected elders in Doguwar Ɗorawa.
“Doguwar Ɗorawa was attacked yesterday (Tuesday) night. The bandits slaughtered two of the most influential elders — Alhaji Bishir and his brother, Alhaji Surajo,” Guga said.
According to him, the attackers stormed the village around 10 p.m. and operated freely for over an hour, killing and abducting residents without any resistance.
“I’m on my way there now for their burial and to see the level of damage. Many people were abducted during the attack,” he added.
Guga further lamented the worsening insecurity in Bakori and neighbouring areas, saying that such attacks had become a daily occurrence.
“It’s now normal to the bandits here. Hardly a day passes without an attack, despite the so-called peace deal,” he said.
Residents believe the assailants are loyal to notorious bandit leaders Idi Abasu Aiki and Kwashen Garuwa, who have long terrorised communities in Bakori and surrounding local governments.
“They parked their motorcycles in the bush and trekked into the village to unleash terror on innocent people,” another resident recounted.
In a related incident, the same night, bandits also raided the Layin ‘Yannehu community, rustling a large number of animals.
The twin attacks occurred barely two weeks after similar raids on Ganjar, Alhazawa, and Gidan Nagari communities, where at least 43 people were abducted, forcing several families to flee their homes.
As of press time, neither the Katsina State Government nor the Bakori Local Government Council had issued any statement regarding the latest killings.
Residents, however, continue to express outrage over what they describe as government indifference and the worsening insecurity that has left rural communities in Katsina’s southern zone under siege.
Bandits kill two, abduct several in fresh Katsina attack
