- Suspected bandits stormed Shuwaki community in Bakori LGA, Katsina State, on Saturday night and operated for several hours
- The attackers shot indiscriminately, rustled livestock, and seized food items while moving house to house in search of valuables
- Residents made distress calls during the attack, but security personnel could not reach the community immediately
Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 8 years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues
Katsina State – Suspected bandits have killed one person and abducted about 31 others, mostly women, after raiding Shuwaki community in Jargaba Ward, Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The victim of the Saturday night, August 1, 2026, attack was identified only as Ashiru Siyudi.
Source: Original
The attackers also rustled an unspecified number of livestock and looted food items and other valuables before withdrawing into the bush with the abducted residents.
As reported by Daily Trust, eyewitnesses said the bandits arrived in large numbers after dark and exploited the cover of night to overpower the community, shooting sporadically and conducting door-to-door searches across homes.
A resident, who asked not to be named for security reasons, said:
“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.”
Another resident, Aminu Magaji, said the assailants gathered those they had seized at the centre of the village before marching 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.”
Security personnel could not reach village
A Community leader, Guga Muhammad, said distress calls were made during the attack, but security forces were unable to respond promptly due to fears of being ambushed along the route to the community.
“People called for help, but the security personnel were afraid of being ambushed. The attackers had already taken control of the area and were operating for hours.”
Garba Hassan Shuwaki, a former resident who had already relocated to Bakori town following earlier attacks, said the incident reflects a deepening security crisis across northern Bakori.
He said many families have abandoned their homes because of repeated raids, abductions, and the destruction of farming livelihoods.
Residents and community leaders are now calling for a coordinated security response involving the police, military, and community-based structures, along with increased patrols on roads linking vulnerable settlements.
They also urged stronger intelligence sharing between communities and security agencies to ensure a faster response to future attacks.
The people appealed to the Katsina State Government and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to treat the rescue of the abducted women as an urgent matter, warning that prolonged captivity puts the victims at further risk.
The State Police spokesman, DSP Sadik Aliyu, said he was still verifying the report and would release findings after the investigation was completed.
Source: Twitter
Bandits kill 12, burn 6 alive in fresh attack
Recall that suspected bandits stormed Lajinge village in Sabon Birni LGA, Sokoto State, at around 11pm on Saturday and operated for over four hours.
Six people were burnt alive after gunmen poured petrol on a room where residents had taken shelter and refused to come out.
Residents said security personnel stationed just 2km away did not respond to repeated distress calls throughout the entire attack.
Bandits kill 6 soldiers, abduct 70 residents
Meanwhile, Legit.ng also reported that suspected bandits launched a late-night raid on Kasuwar Daji community in Kaura-Namoda LGA, Zamfara state.
At least 6 soldiers were killed after the attackers overran a military outpost protecting the area.
Former deputy speaker Hon Namadi Kasuwar Daji confirmed the attack, saying residents were abducted to the bush.
Source: Legit.ng