One person identified as Ashiru Siyudi was killed and about 31 people, mostly women, were abducted after suspected bandits invaded Shuwaki community in Jargaba Ward, Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State.
Residents said the attackers stormed the village on Saturday night, stealing an unknown number of livestock, food items and other valuables. They reportedly operated for hours, firing shots, attacking residents and moving from house to house.
A resident, who asked not to be named for security reasons, said the bandits arrived in large numbers and took advantage of the darkness. “They spent almost the entire night in the village. They moved from one house to another, looking for animals, food and other valuables. They also abducted women and took them away,” the source said.
Another resident, Aminu Magaji, said panic spread across the community as the gunmen searched homes before gathering the captives at the village centre and leading them into the bush. “They gathered the people they had abducted at the village centre and later took them away. We were helpless because the attackers were many and heavily armed,” he said.
Garba Hassan Shuwaki, who relocated to Bakori town because of repeated attacks, said insecurity has forced many families to flee. “I left Shuwaki and relocated to Bakori town because of the insecurity. People are no longer sleeping peacefully in their homes. The attacks have become too frequent and residents are living in fear,” he said.
According to Daily Trust, community leader Guga Muhammad said repeated distress calls went unanswered as security personnel feared an ambush, while Police spokesperson DSP Sadik Aliyu said he was verifying the report and would release the findings after the investigation.
