Tension has gripped several communities in Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State following a late-night attack by bandits that reportedly left one person dead and many others abducted.
The attack came despite an existing peace deal with the bandits.
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The Monday night raid on Danjanku community came barely days after a series of similar attacks that have seen more than 30 residents abducted in less than a week from Danjanku, Dayi, and other nearby communities.
The incidents sparked outrage among locals who accuse the government and security agencies of failing to protect them.
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Early Tuesday morning, youths from Danjanku blocked the Funtua–Katsina highway in a peaceful protest against the repeated abductions.
However, the demonstration reportedly turned violent when a joint team of security personnel arrived to disperse them.
A resident who requested anonymity told PREMIUM TIMES that the security operatives fired gunshots to disperse the protesters, killing one person in the process.
“When the security men came, they started shooting. One of the youths was hit and he died,” the source said.
In retaliation, the enraged youths reportedly set ablaze a Katsina State Transport Authority (KSTA) bus passing through the area.
Protests later spread to neighbouring Dantashi and Dayi communities, where youths also burned tyres in solidarity, demanding justice and an end to repeated bandit attacks.
Confirming the attack, the village head of Danjanku, Tanimu Almakiyayi, said the bandits invaded the area around midnight, scaling fences to access homes.
A security operative, speaking on condition of anonymity, also confirmed the incident.
“I just returned from Malumfashi and met the protest on my way. The bandits invaded Danjanku last night and abducted many people, killing one in the process,” he said.
Witnesses further alleged that during the attempt by soldiers to quell the demonstration, two protesters were shot dead while two others sustained injuries and were taken to a nearby hospital.
Repeated calls, text messages, and WhatsApp inquiries sent to the Katsina State Police Public Relations Officer, Sadiq Abubakar were not responded to as of the time of filing this report.
When contacted, the Vice Chairman of Malumfashi Local Government, Mukhtari Ado, said he had just been informed of the situation and was on his way to Danjanku to assess the development.
“I just heard of it and I’m heading to Danjanku now,” he told PREMIUM TIMES. However, efforts to reach him for comments hours later via his phone number went unanswered.
Residents told our reporter that Malumfashi and the neighbouring Bakori Local Government Area have remained under siege since the so-called peace deal with the bandits. They accused the gunmen of imposing levies on farmers before allowing them to harvest their crops.
“Despite paying the taxes the bandits demand, there’s no guarantee that they will let us farm or harvest freely,” one resident simply identified as Habib said.
Another villager lamented that the attacks have become relentless.
“They came the day before yesterday and abducted some people. They returned again last night. That’s why the youths came out to protest,” he explained.
“Instead of calming the situation, the soldiers started shooting. That’s how one of our people was killed, and in anger, some youths set a KSTA vehicle on fire,” he said.
Protesters are accusing both the authorities and local leaders of failing to protect them or take meaningful steps to address the worsening insecurity in the area, leaving them at the mercy of the bandits.
READ ALSO: Katsina to establish local nutrition food factory, employ 2,300 health workers to tackle child malnutrition
Background
Katsina, the home state of former President Muhammadu Buhari, remains one of the states worst affected by armed banditry in Nigeria’s North-west.
Despite several peace deals brokered between the government and bandit leaders, attacks, abductions, and killings have persisted, displacing thousands and crippling farming activities across rural communities.
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