Bandits have resumed attacks across many local government areas in Katsina State despite peace accords.
Residents have lamented the resurgence of killings and abductions in spite of the peace deal brokered between bandits and insecurity-prone communities in the state.
This development comes amidst plans by the state government to release 70 suspected and convicted bandits in exchange for about 1,000 victims earlier freed by bandits under the reportedly community-driven peace arrangement.
The bandits are launching fresh onslaughts on communities in Dandume, Kankara, Faskari, Jibia, Funtua, Malumfashi, Kurfi and Dutsin-ma Local Government Areas of the state despite the renewed relations between them and residents of the affected areas.
In Dandume, the bandits attacked Kirijan, Unguwar Jika, Baraje, Kauran Pawa and Shugu communities in the wee hours of Thursday, 22nd January, 2026, abducting eight persons, including women and children, and injuring 11 others.
At Kankara, the armed bandits recently attacked a wedding motorcade in Unguwar Nagunda community of the local government area and killed no fewer than two farmers.
The attack, which occurred on Sunday night, left the bride and many others with varying gunshot injuries, while an unspecified number of wedding guests were reportedly abducted by the attackers during the invasion.
A resident of the community, Ibrahim Hassan, told Punch that the assailants invaded the community, firing sporadically, which triggered panic among the residents.
He said, “They (bandits) killed two people and injured many others, including the bride and her friends, and abducted 10 wedding guests. This incident further heightened fears over persistent insecurity in the Kankara local government area.”
Findings further revealed that the armed bandits stormed Gidan Sarki community on Monday night, killing two residents and abducting 10 others.
A resident of the area, Muhammed Sarki, confirmed the incident, saying the victims included five married men and their wives.
“They abducted five men and their wives and took them into the forest. I tried calling my younger sister, who was among those kidnapped, but one of the bandits answered the phone and confirmed that she and her husband were in their custody,” he added.
Similarly, bandits also invaded Dikke village in Funtua Local Government Area on Saturday night, abducting five people.
A resident, Abubakar Mustapha, said one of the victims later escaped, leaving four people in captivity of the marauding hoodlums.
He noted that unlike previous attacks, the assailants did not ride motorcycles into the village.
“They parked their motorcycles inside the forest, trekked into the community and carried out the attack,” he added.
In a related development, the bandits attacked Unguwan Malam Musa community and a neighbouring village, Nadankama, both in Faskari Local Government Area of the state, where they kidnapped six residents.
A resident of the area, Babangida Abdulsalam, said four people were kidnapped at Unguwan Malam Musa, while two others were abducted at Nadankama village during the separate but coordinated attacks.
According to him, the victims were working on their farmlands when the bandits swooped on them and whisked them away to an unknown destination.
He disclosed that the kidnappers later contacted members of the affected communities and initially demanded a ransom of ₦14 million for each of the abducted persons.
“The bandits later reduced the ransom to N2.5 million for each of the victims, but even that amount is beyond what the communities can raise,” the resident said, expressing concern over the fate of the abductees.