At least six people have been killed and nearly 60 others abducted in a series of violent raids across rural communities in Katsina State, northern Nigeria, as insecurity continues to escalate in the region.
Katsina is the home state of former President Muhammadu Buhari, and the latest attack occurred late Sunday night in Layin Gara village, located in the Funtua Local Government Area, where armed assailants killed two residents and abducted 16 others.
Local reports indicated that the gunmen operated with impunity for several hours without facing resistance from security forces.
On Saturday, a separate group of attackers struck Maikuma village in the nearby Dandume Local Government Area, killing four people and abducting an estimated 43 residents. Local authorities say the attackers—believed to be part of organized criminal gangs commonly referred to as bandits—arrived on motorcycles and were heavily armed.
“They went from house to house for hours before escaping into the forest with their captives,” a local source told reporters.
Speaking to the press, Basiru Musa, chairman of Dandume LGA, said over 100 assailants were involved in the Saturday assault. “Their mission was clear: to kill and abduct as many as possible,” he said. “They killed four and kidnapped dozens. Some sources say the number of abductees may be closer to 45 or even higher.”
Musa added that after receiving intelligence of a possible attack, he contacted both the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and a local military unit. While they responded swiftly, he noted that troops were unable to pursue the attackers into the forest due to jurisdictional limitations.
The recent assaults are part of a broader wave of violence that has gripped parts of northwestern and north-central Nigeria in recent years. Armed groups—often referred to locally as bandits—have increasingly targeted rural communities for ransom kidnappings, killings, and looting, amid limited state presence in many areas.
