Bandits Kill One, Abduct 31 Katsina Residents In Fresh Attack

Bandits in a fresh attack on Shuwaki community in the Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State, have killed one resident, injured at least seven others and abducted 31 people, most of them women and children. The bandits which attacked the community on Saturday night, is the latest in a series of raids that have continued to plague communities in Bakori, forcing many residents to flee their homes amid persistent killings, kidnappings and cattle rustling. A former Chairman of Bakori Local Government, Aminu Magaji, disclosed that the gunmen stormed Shuwaki between 9:00 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. and operated for almost two hours without interruption. Magaji said the attackers killed one person, wounded seven others, abducted dozens of residents and made away with cattle, sheep and other valuables. He revealed that one of the kidnapped women was later abandoned near Doma Village after she became too weak to continue the journey into the forest, leaving 31 victims still in captivity. He noted that the majority of those abducted are women, including some carrying infants. He further stated that security agencies were alerted while the attack was ongoing, prompting a joint response by police officers, soldiers and members of the Katsina Community Watch Corps. However, despite the deployment, the security operatives were unable to rescue the victims or stop the attackers from escaping. The former council chairman added that the bandits also carted away residents' mobile phones, including devices collected at local charging centres, while no contact had been established with the kidnappers and no ransom demand had been received as of the time of the report. Residents said the latest incident followed similar attacks on Unguwar Dogo and Alhazawa communities, where several people were injured and livestock stolen.