One person has been killed and about 31 people, mostly women, abducted after suspected bandits attacked Shuwaki community in Jargaba Ward, Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State, residents told Daily Trust.
The attackers reportedly stormed the village late on Saturday, spending several hours under the cover of darkness, shooting indiscriminately and looting livestock, food and other valuables.
“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,” a resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.
Another resident, Aminu Magaji, said the abductees were gathered at the village centre and marched into the bush.
“We were helpless because the attackers were many and heavily armed,” he said.
A community leader, Guga Muhammad, said distress calls were made, but security personnel did not reach the village immediately because of fears of ambushes.
“The attackers had already taken control of the area and were operating for hours,” he said.
The attack has renewed concerns over security in northern Bakori, where communities have suffered repeated raids despite a reported peace agreement with some bandit groups.
Residents called for coordinated patrols by the police, military and local security outfits, as well as improved intelligence gathering and communication.
They said the fate of the abducted women remained a major concern and appealed to the Katsina State and Federal Government authorities to intensify efforts to secure their release.
The Katsina State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Sadik Aliyu, said he was still verifying the incident and would release the findings after the verification was completed.
