Gunmen Kill Nine, Injure 13 in Katsina LGA Attack

Suspected bandits have killed nine people and injured 13 others during a late-night attack on several communities in Dandume Local Government Area of Katsina State.

The attack occurred on Thursday night when the gunmen invaded Kauran Fawa and Unguwar Jika villages, as well as nearby settlements. Residents said the assailants arrived on foot after abandoning their motorcycles in nearby bushes.

A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the attackers stormed the communities after most residents had retired for the night, firing sporadically to announce their presence.

“During the attack, nine people were killed while 13 others sustained varying degrees of injuries. The injured victims have been taken to the hospital for treatment,” the resident said.

He added that 10 persons were initially abducted during the raid but were later released one after another, largely due to pressure from local security operatives. According to him, only one abducted person remains in captivity.

Confirming the incident, the Executive Chairman of Dandume Local Government Area, Hon. Bishir Gyazama, said five of the victims had already been buried in line with Islamic rites.

“I attended the burial of five of those killed by the bandits,” Gyazama said, lamenting that the attack came barely five months after the council entered into a peace agreement with repentant bandits.

He noted that the agreement had brought relative calm to the area, with no major attacks recorded during the period.

“For the past five months, there had been peace in the council area following the peace deal. Before then, communities were attacked almost daily,” he said, adding that new measures had been put in place to prevent further attacks.

The latest incident occurred less than a week after bandits launched similar attacks on communities in Faskari, Funtua and Matazu Local Government Areas, where two people were killed and dozens abducted.

The renewed violence has also raised concerns over the implementation of a peace agreement between security-challenged communities and repentant bandits, under which about 1,000 abducted victims were released to their families.

As part of the deal, the state government was expected to release 70 suspected and convicted bandits, a move that has drawn widespread criticism. Sources suggested that the delay in carrying out the release may be linked to the resurgence of attacks in the state.