At least seven people lost their lives, and 100 were abducted on Saturday night when gunmen attacked a rural community in northwestern Nigeria’s Katsina state, according to residents and police reports on Sunday.
This incident is the latest in a series of violent assaults plaguing the northern regions of the country.
These armed groups, locally referred to as bandits, have been notorious for raiding communities in the northwest, targeting residents, students, and motorists for ransom.
Witnesses reported that the assailants, riding motorbikes, invaded Maidabino village in the Danmusa local government area of Katsina, opening fire indiscriminately and causing residents to flee in terror.
Hassan Aliyu, a resident, told Reuters via phone that the attack was unexpected, resulting in numerous women and children being unaccounted for.
“They killed seven people, including burning two children,” Aliyu said.
“They spent more than six hours destroying our properties.”
Another resident, Auwalu Ismail, recounted that the gunmen blocked all access routes to Maidabino before launching their attack.
“They burnt down our shops, vehicles, and took away our livestock.
They also kidnapped my wife and more than 100 women and children,” he revealed.
Katsina state police spokesperson Abubakar Aliyu Sadiq confirmed the assault and the seven fatalities but did not comment on the missing persons. He stated that the police were conducting an investigation.
Muhammad Sani, whose sister was among the abducted, expressed the community’s ongoing fear and anxiety:
“The remaining men who did not flee are living in fear … and waiting to hear news about their abducted loved ones.”
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