BANDITS KILL 24 IN KATSINA COMMUNITIES AS VIOLENCE ESCALATES IN KANKARA LGA
At least 24 people, including 20 farmers, three residents, and a local vigilante operative, have been killed in fresh attacks by armed bandits in Katsina State’s Kankara Local Government Area — one of the state’s most volatile regions.
According to local sources who spoke under anonymity, the deadly assaults occurred across several villages, including Yargoje, Kwakware, Danmarke, Gidan Dawa, and parts of Burdugau. The attacks, which happened over the last six days, saw farmers ambushed on their farmlands. Dozens were reportedly kidnapped, and several farm animals used for cultivation were carted away by the gunmen.
A separate incident was also reported in Marmara village on Monday, where bandits clashed with members of the Community Watch Corps (C’watch) and the Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF). One C’watch operative was killed, and two JTF members were injured. Three residents of the village were also reportedly shot dead during the invasion.
Later that same night, bandits launched another raid on communities east of Kwakware, kidnapping an unspecified number of residents and rustling livestock.
A resident of Kankara blamed the recent surge in attacks on the uneven implementation of peace agreements across the state. “If peace deals are signed in some LGAs but ignored in others, bandits will naturally exploit those gaps,” he said.
Meanwhile, in a positive turn, the Katsina State Police Command says it foiled a separate kidnap attempt in Mazare village, Sabuwa LGA. In a statement on Wednesday, police spokesperson DSP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu confirmed that operatives responded swiftly to a distress call on June 18, engaging the assailants in a gun duel.
The operation led to the rescue of four kidnapped victims — three women and a baby girl — while the attackers fled. Two residents injured during the assault, identified as 37-year-old Sa’idu Isa and 61-year-old Sa’idu Wa’alam, are currently receiving treatment.
The fresh wave of violence underscores the persistent insecurity in rural Katsina, as residents continue to grapple with deadly raids and inadequate protection.
