Gunmen killed at least 10 people, including women and children, in an attack on farming settlements in Katsina State, residents said, underscoring worsening insecurity in Nigeria’s northwest.
The attack occurred on Sunday in the Guga community in Bakori Local Government Area, where armed men stormed rural settlements and opened fire, according to eyewitness accounts. Residents said the assailants targeted Gidan Sarkin Noma and Gidan Wawu, killing victims and burning homes.
A resident, Sale Musa, who said he escaped the হামলা, told Reuters that heavily armed bandits struck in the evening, using sophisticated weapons. He said the attackers captured at least 10 people, including a pregnant woman, and killed them.
The assault took place around 4 p.m. local time, when many villagers had travelled to a nearby market ahead of Eid al-Kabir celebrations, leaving the settlements largely unprotected.
Other residents said the gunmen also looted livestock and destroyed property during the raid. Tajjudeen Dauda said several houses were set ablaze, while Muhammad Nuhu described the incident as the most severe in a series of repeated attacks on the community in recent months.
A spokesperson for the Katsina State police did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Northwestern Nigeria has seen a surge in violence by armed groups locally referred to as bandits, who frequently raid villages, kill or kidnap residents and target communities with limited security presence.
The incident highlights broader security challenges across the country. While banditry continues to plague the northwest, the northeast remains affected by an ongoing insurgency involving militant groups such as Islamic State. The U.S. military said it recently carried out additional airstrikes in the northeast as joint operations against militants intensify.
Authorities have struggled to contain the violence, which has disrupted livelihoods, displaced communities and heightened fears among rural populations.
Leave a comment