Bandits kill four in southern Katsina, rob PDP aspirant

Concerns are rising over worsening insecurity along Katsina State’s vulnerable southern corridor after bandits killed at least four people and injured several others during attacks in which a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aspirant was robbed.

The attacks, which occurred between 26 and 28 April, affected communities in Funtua and Bakori local government areas (LGAs), underscoring what residents describe as an escalating pattern of rural violence linked to repeated infiltration from neighbouring Kaduna State.

On 28 April, armed bandits stormed Mailaya community in Maska Ward of Funtua LGA at approximately 2:28 a.m., catching residents asleep.

Ismail Ibrahim, the councillor representing Tudun Iya Ward, said the bandits operated for about 30 minutes.

“What caught our attention was that they entered around 2:28 a.m.,” the councillor said. “Usually, if thieves come, they attack earlier in the night. But this time, everyone was asleep.”

During the raid, the attackers shot dead Kabiru Idris, whom they reportedly found outside his home.

The bandits also raided the residence of Haruna Abdulrazaq, a PDP aspirant for the State House of Assembly, carting away substantial sums of money he had reportedly returned home with from market activities.

Residents said the unusual timing of the attack heightened panic, as many villagers traditionally assume they are safer after midnight.

The Funtua incident followed earlier attacks in neighbouring Bakori LGA, where multiple communities came under assault between 26 and 27 April.

Mahadi Guga, a resident monitoring security developments in the area, told PREMIUM TIMES that armed men launched coordinated raids on Gidan Sarkin Noma and Gidan Wa’u settlements in Guga Ward on 27 April.

According to Mr Guga, about 20 men riding on 10 motorcycles stormed the communities around 6:30 p.m., killing at least two residents, including Sabiu Mubarak.

The attackers reportedly burned homes, destroyed food storage facilities, rustled livestock, and looted properties.

Mr Guga also confirmed that on 26 April, suspected bandits ambushed residents returning from a market near Kakumi, killing Yakubu Kako, while another victim sustained serious gunshot injuries.

Community leaders say both Funtua and Bakori, which share geographic boundaries in southern Katsina, are increasingly vulnerable due to their proximity to poorly secured border routes connecting to high-risk areas of Kaduna State.

Mr Ibrahim linked the attacks to recurring infiltration from the Sabuwar Kaduna border. He noted that communities such as Tundun Iya, Lasanawa, and Unguwar Malam Haruna have repeatedly experienced killings, cattle rustling, armed robbery, and forced displacement.

The situation in Lasanawa has become particularly dire. After two residents were killed in a recent raid, many survivors were forced to relocate to neighbouring wards for safety.

Residents say the repeated assaults suggest that southern Katsina is facing an expanding rural insecurity corridor, where communities endure sustained violence despite ongoing security operations.

Across affected communities, residents expressed frustration over what they perceive as inadequate government protection.

Local vigilante groups have often served as first responders, but residents say official security interventions remain inconsistent.

“We have been begging for help,” one resident said. “Sometimes, it feels like there is no government.”

“These attacks are becoming too frequent,” another community source said. “People are living in fear.”

Security analysts have repeatedly warned that weak surveillance, delayed emergency response, and porous border zones continue to enable armed groups to strike vulnerable rural settlements.

While the Katsina State Police Command had yet to issue a direct statement on the Mailaya and Bakori killings as of press time, authorities on Thursday announced separate anti-cattle rustling breakthroughs in nearby Funtua axis communities.

Police spokesperson Abubakar Aliyu said operatives arrested four suspects on 29 April along Tudun Iya village on Maska Road in Funtua LGA, recovering 18 suspected stolen cows.

The command also reported repelling suspected armed bandits during coordinated attacks in Kankia LGA, where rustled livestock were recovered after a gun battle.

Police said the operations reflected ongoing intelligence-led policing efforts across vulnerable areas of the state.

However, residents in southern Katsina communities say recurring attacks on villages continue to expose persistent security gaps despite these interventions.

Residents are calling for increased military deployment, improved rural intelligence gathering, stronger border surveillance, and faster emergency response systems.

For many in southern Katsina, however, the latest attacks reinforce fears that without sustained intervention, rural communities may remain exposed to recurring cycles of violence.