Suspected bandits have attacked a wedding convoy in Unguwar Nagunda community, Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State, killing at least two people and injuring several others, including the bride.
The attack occurred on Sunday night as the wedding party was moving through the community. An unspecified number of guests were also abducted during the incident, according to local sources.
A security source confirmed on Monday that the assailants stormed the area, firing gunshots sporadically and causing widespread panic among residents.
“As of this morning, families are still trying to confirm how many people were abducted,” the source said.
Efforts to obtain official confirmation from the Katsina State Police Command were unsuccessful, as the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abubakar Sadiq, did not respond to calls or text messages as of the time of filing this report.
The attack comes amid controversy surrounding the Katsina State Government’s plan to release detained suspected bandits as part of measures aimed at consolidating what it describes as an existing peace accord between banditry-affected communities and repentant bandits.
The state government has said the peace deal has so far led to the release of at least 1,000 persons previously held captive by bandits in various attacks, describing the strategy as one commonly adopted in conflict situations worldwide.
On January 2, 2026, an official letter detailing plans to release detained suspected bandits emerged, drawing public attention. The letter, marked “SECRET,” was issued by the Ministry of Justice and addressed to the state Chief Judge, Justice Musa Abubakar.
Signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Abdur-Rahman Umar, the letter sought the intervention of the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee to facilitate the release of the suspects. It revealed that a list of 48 individuals accused of various banditry-related offences had been submitted by the Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs.
According to the letter, the proposed release was intended to serve as a condition for sustaining the peace accord between frontline local governments and the bandits. The government noted that while some of the suspects were already facing trial at the Federal High Court, others were in detention awaiting trial at magistrates’ courts across the state.
The letter also disclosed that an additional list of about 22 suspects currently standing trial before various high courts in the state had been forwarded, requesting their release under the same peace arrangement and urging the Chief Judge to take necessary action.
