Bandits kill seven, abduct three in Katsina attack

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Seven people have been killed and three others abducted by armed men at the Magaji Wando community in the Dandume Local Government Area of Katsina State.

Residents and local authorities said the assault began late on Friday and stretched into the early hours of Saturday. They said the bandits stormed the community, firing sporadically.

“Five people were killed on the spot, while two others died later from gunshot wounds,” a resident told journalists. “They also abducted three people – two women and a boy.”

Local vigilante members, operating under the state-backed Community Watch Corps (CWC), confronted the attackers and later evacuated the injured to hospitals in Funtua and Katsina. However, on their return, they were ambushed, a resident said.

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“Two members of the security team were killed and eight others were injured in the ambush. The bandits also burnt one of their patrol vehicles,” another resident said.

Zagazola Makama, a security analyst and counter-insurgency expert, first reported the incident on X (formerly Twitter).

The Katsina State Government later issued a statement through the Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, acknowledging that seven lives were lost but said the vigilante corps “repelled” what could have been a “far more devastating outcome”.

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Nasir Mu’azu, the commissioner for internal security, commended the “bravery and sacrifice” of the vigilantes.

The latest incident underscores the insecurity in Katsina south, where rural communities face near-daily raids from armed groups.

Earlier this week, a local media published footage showing residents in a Katsina community welcoming heavily armed bandits during a so-called peace dialogue. Some villagers were seen taking selfies with the gunmen and shaking hands with them.

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