Fear Grips Katsina Communities after Fresh Attack as Government Plans Bandits’ Release
- Katsina state witnessed new attacks on a wedding convoy in Jaga village, resulting in multiple deaths, abductions, and injuries
- This is coming when the Katsina state government is preparing to release many detained bandits as part of community-driven peace agreements
- In addition, reconciliation committees are compiling names for court review before any release is implemented
Legit.ng's Muslim Muhammad Yusuf is a 2025 Wole Soyinka Award-winning journalist with over 8 years of experience in investigative reporting, human rights, politics, governance and accountability in Nigeria.
Kankara, Katsina - Fresh attacks by bandits in Katsina state have reignited fears among residents, just as the government prepares to release several detained militants under community-driven peace agreements.
On Sunday night January 11, a wedding convoy in Unguwar Nagunda village, Kankara Local Government Area, came under attack, leaving at least two guests dead and 17 people, including the bride, abducted.
Source: Original
As reported by Daily Trust, eight of the abductees later escaped and were reunited with their families on Monday.
In a separate incident, one person was reportedly killed in an attack on Jaga village along the Kankara–Sheme road.
The spate of violence has heightened anxiety in communities already grappling with the complex challenges of banditry.
A security source confirmed that forces are actively combing the area and nearby forests in search of remaining victims.
Residents told Daily Trust that the attackers targeted the wedding guests immediately after their arrival, intensifying fears that some factions oppose recent peace deals brokered between local communities and armed groups.
He said:
“Although we have been enjoying what could be described as a fragile peace, the bandits appear to be resurfacing.
“The general belief here is that they are among those opposed to the peace deal recently signed in Kakumi village of Bakori Local Government Area, where five LGAs—Kankara, Malumfashi, Kafur, Funtua and the host Bakori—participated.”
Katsina gov't defends plan to release bandits
The state government, meanwhile, has defended its controversial plan to release detained bandits as part of a broader effort to consolidate peace across affected local government areas.
Katsina’s Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Nasir Muazu, told the BBC that reconciliation committees have been established in each local government to compile the names of detained bandits.
Once completed, the lists will be forwarded to the courts for review, ensuring that the release process complies with the law.
“These committees are compiling the names, and so far, the process has not been completed, let alone determining the exact number,” he stated.
“The courts will examine the cases to ensure that nothing violates the law before the plan is implemented,” he said.
Muazu said the peace agreements with communities were guided by specific conditions. These include allowing bandits to access markets, hospitals, and relatives without harassment, ending attacks on villages, halting kidnappings, releasing captives, and facilitating the release of bandits held by the government.
“Katsina State Government is a government of the people. Whatever the people do in pursuit of peace, the government will not stop them or undermine their efforts,” he said.
The commissioner highlighted the tangible benefits of the peace initiatives, noting that areas such as Jibia, Safana, and Batsari Local Government Areas have not experienced any attacks since agreements were reached.
Source: Facebook
According to him, violence has reduced by about 95 per cent in nearly 19 previously affected LGAs.
Muazu explained that immediate disarmament of bandits was not part of the initial agreements due to the region’s large population of pastoralists, who rely on firearms to protect their livestock from thieves.
The government is simultaneously planning measures to disrupt channels through which bandits acquire weapons.
Mixed reactions trail bandits’ release plan
A security analyst, Abubakar Ibrahim, said the release of the bandits should not be regarded as a prisoner swap.
He said:
“These suspects are criminals and should be treated as such. Many of those proposed for release are notorious and may eventually return to the bush.”
A former Assistant Director of the Department of State Security, Mamman Mannir Murtala, while speaking to Daily Trust, described the move as perhaps the only practical option left to break the cycle of violence. He urged critics to allow those championing the peace process to focus on achieving lasting peace in the state.
The chairman of the Security Committee in Danmusa, Buhari Salisu Yantumaki, who also serves as secretary to the 19 local government areas affected by banditry, insisted the proposed release poses no threat and is crucial to sustaining the peace deal.
“Those opposing the peace deal are mostly people living in the cities. Go to the affected rural communities and see the consequences if care is not taken. Villagers are exhausted and desperate; violence has pushed them to the brink,” he said.
Bandits kill two elders in fresh Katsina attack
Legit.ng earlier reported that two respected elders were brutally killed when armed bandits stormed Doguwar Dorawa village in Katsina’s Bakori LGA on Thursday night.
The incident reignites doubts over the recent peace accord signed by the Katsina State Government with armed groups in the region.
Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
