Suspected bandits on Friday evening blocked the Bakori–Guga road in Katsina State and abducted at least nine travellers returning from a weekly market, a community leader and local residents have reported.
The attack reportedly occurred around 5 p.m. at Dawan La’ila, a section of the road linking Bakori and Guga communities, where the gunmen intercepted the vehicle conveying the passengers from the Bakori market.
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A community leader, Mahadi Danbita, told PREMIUM TIMES in a telephone interview on Saturday that the attackers stopped the vehicle and whisked away nine passengers.
He said four of the abductees were residents of Guga while the remaining five were from Kakumi, a neighbouring community about nine kilometres away.
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According to Mr Danbita, the victims were travelling home after attending the weekly Bakori market when the attack occurred.
He said residents reported that the attackers also robbed passengers of cash, mobile phones and other valuables.
“They attacked people returning from the market. They abducted nine people. We are still gathering information from the affected families and some people who managed to escape,” Mr Danbita said.
He added that community members had reported that one person was killed and another injured during the attack, although PREMIUM TIMES could not independently verify those claims as of the time of filing this report.
Mr Danbita said the attacked vehicle was later taken to the Guga Primary Healthcare Centre.
He also shared with PREMIUM TIMES the names of four persons said to be among those abducted. They were identified as Sagir Mani Danmadami, Babangida Dangwaggo, Bala Magaji and Abdullahi Muh’d Dabo.
PREMIUM TIMES could not immediately verify the identities of the remaining victims.
Recent attacks
Mr Danbita said the latest incident followed a series of attacks targeting farmers and commuters in communities around Guga.
He said armed men had attacked farmers earlier in the week, abducting several people and making away with motorcycles, mobile phones and other valuables.
The community leader also said about 125 local hunters had recently been deployed to Guga to complement existing security personnel, including forest guards and other security operatives.
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He speculated that the increased security presence may have provoked the latest attack by the gunmen but provided no evidence to support the claim.
PREMIUM TIMES could not independently verify the deployment or establish any link between it and Friday’s attack.
Police yet to comment
Efforts to obtain confirmation from the Katsina State Police Command have not yielded a response as of the time of filing this report
Southern Katsina has witnessed repeated attacks by armed groups in recent years, with commuters, farmers and rural communities frequently targeted in kidnappings and other violent attacks despite ongoing security operations in the area.
