Insecurity: Several Residents Feared Dead in Fresh Bandit Attack on Katsina Village

No fewer than 16 villagers were feared killed, while several others remain missing after bandits attacked Kiliya village near Bagagadi in Dutsinma Local Government Area of Katsina State.

The attack reportedly occurred on Friday shortly after residents had concluded Juma’at prayers and were gathered in celebration of the Eid-el-Kabir festivities.

A resident of the area said the incident began when two armed bandits arrived in the village on a motorcycle.

According to the source, villagers attempted to flee upon sighting the gunmen, but were ordered to stop before the attackers suddenly opened fire on residents and passersby.

“After the Friday prayers, we were sitting together with other villagers. I called a boy who was selling local drinks and bought a bowl from him when the bandits arrived. I saw two of them on a motorcycle. People started running and they told us not to run, but suddenly they began shooting.

“The boy and I ran into a house and hid. While in hiding, we heard screams and gunshots everywhere. After some minutes, the shooting stopped. When we came out, we found the lifeless bodies of about 16 people, including some of my uncles and cousins,” he said.

The resident added that more than 400 people had fled to Bagagadi village for safety, while others relocated to nearby Radda village. He said several villagers were still unaccounted for after the attack.

He further disclosed that some victims were believed to have been killed on their farms, noting that several bodies were discovered in farmlands surrounding the community.

Another eyewitness, a 14-year-old boy, said more attackers joined the assault after the first motorcycle arrived and the gunmen began shooting indiscriminately.

A resident of neighbouring Bagagadi village said over 30 displaced persons from Kiliya, mostly women and children, were currently taking refuge in his home.

Sources in the area suggested that the attack may have been a reprisal by bandits following the reported killing of two suspected gang members by villagers a few days earlier.

“From the nature of this attack, it appears to be a reprisal attack because a few days ago, two bandits were killed, and reports indicated that they belonged to a notorious gang. Perhaps that is why they came to the village and carried out this attack,” a source said.

When contacted, the spokesperson for the Katsina State Police Command, DSP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, said the command had yet to receive an official report of the incident but promised to provide updates once details were made available.