- Bandits abducted 15 residents, mostly women and children, during a coordinated late-night raid in Bakori LGA
- Gunmen used diversion tactics, split into groups and escaped through Faskari route as vigilantes failed to rescue victims
- Armed groups imposed N10m levy on farming communities, threatening to block cultivation if payment was not made
Katsina state – Bandits have abducted no fewer than 15 residents, mostly women, children and infants, following a night-time attack on Sabon Layi community in Kakumi Ward of Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina state.
Residents said the assailants invaded the area at about 9:45pm last Thursday, April 30, targeting homes linked to a man identified as Aliyu and his younger brother.
Source: Twitter
A local source disclosed that the attackers executed the operation with precision, dividing themselves into two groups to avoid resistance, Nigerian Info reported.
Bandits use diversion tactics
According to another resident, one group created a diversion by attempting to, while the second group quietly entered the community and carried out the abductions.
The gunmen reportedly withdrew without firing any shots, a tactic believed to have helped them escape unnoticed.
“The attackers operated in a calculated and strategic manner,” the source said.
By the time villagers realised their cattle had been taken, the abductors had already fled. It was only afterwards that residents discovered that several people had also been kidnapped, Daily Trust reported.
Escape route frustrates rescue efforts
Sources said the bandits escaped through Mununu village in neighbouring Faskari Local Government Area, a corridor often used by criminal groups in the region.
Local security volunteers, including members of the Community Watch Corps and vigilante groups, reportedly mobilised in a bid to rescue the victims but were unable to catch up with the attackers.
Among those taken were several minors, including infants, heightening concerns over their safety.
There are also suspicions that the raid may be linked to a known bandit leader, Kwashen Garwa, who had reportedly been part of a peace arrangement in the area months earlier.
Communities had experienced relative calm following the deal until the latest incident.
Bandits impose N10m levy on farming communities
In a related development, armed groups have imposed a N10 million levy on several farming communities across Faskari and Bakori local government areas.
The payment is said to be a condition for farmers to access their lands during the upcoming wet season without being attacked.
A resident from one of the affected communities said the bandits warned that farming activities would be prohibited if the levy was not paid.
Communities affected include Yanshuni, Unguwar Lamido, Zamfarawa, Unguwar Dan Malka, Doma, Ruwan Godiya, Gidan Kare and Unguwar Wawo.
Some residents are reportedly exploring negotiations in a bid to secure access to their farmlands.
Residents call for urgent government intervention
A community member, who spoke anonymously, expressed fear over the worsening security situation and urged authorities to act decisively.
“We don’t go to them; they come to us. Now they have placed a levy that we don’t even know how to pay. Government should please come to our aid. What we need is a permanent solution, not a temporary one,” he said.
Efforts to reach the Katsina State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Nasir Mu’azu, were unsuccessful, as calls to his phone went unanswered.
As of the time of filing this report, security agencies had yet to issue an official statement on the incidents.
NAF attacks bandits in Sambisa
Legit.ng previously reported that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), operating under the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI, has stepped up its aerial offensive in the North-East, carrying out a series of precision strikes targeting insurgent positions in Sambisa Forest and the Tumbuns area.
Acting on what it described as credible intelligence, NAF air assets conducted coordinated attacks on identified terrorist enclaves.
Source: Legit.ng