NO fewer than 30 persons were killed on Tuesday in separate bandits’ attacks on rural communities in Katsina and Kwara states, as armed assailants renewed violent assaults, razed houses and vehicles, and forced residents to flee their homes.
News Point Nigeria reports that in Katsina State, at least 20 people were confirmed killed when bandits invaded Doma community in Tafoki Ward, Faskari Local Government Area. Residents said the attackers stormed the village unhindered, shooting indiscriminately and setting houses and vehicles ablaze before escaping into surrounding forests.
Confirming the incident, the Chairman of Faskari Local Government Area, Surajo Aliyu, described the attack as a reprisal and the deadliest recorded in the area in recent months.
“This attack is a reprisal one, and it is a deadly one indeed because we have not witnessed such violence in the last five months in this area,” Aliyu said.
He explained that security operatives were alerted shortly after the attack began but were unable to arrive in time to prevent the killings.
“Today, they killed at least 20 people. They burnt cars and houses during the dastardly attack. We reported the incident to security personnel, but unfortunately, they could not arrive before the bandits carried out their heinous act,” he added.
Aliyu disclosed that the bodies of the victims had been evacuated and that burial rites were scheduled for Wednesday morning in Tafoki.
“We sympathise deeply with the people of Doma, Tafoki Ward, Faskari, and indeed the entire people of Katsina State, especially the bereaved families. May God bring an end to these senseless killings,” he said.
Faskari Local Government Area is among the councils in Katsina State that entered into a peace agreement with bandits about five months ago, a move that had brought relative calm to the area until the latest attack shattered the fragile truce.
Efforts to obtain a reaction from the Katsina State Police Command were unsuccessful, as calls and messages to the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abubakar Sadiq, were not returned as of the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, in Kwara State, at least 10 villagers were killed on Tuesday evening when bandits attacked Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area.
The attackers, suspected to be operating from hideouts within the Borgu National Park forest in neighbouring Niger State, reportedly invaded the communities at about 6:00 pm, firing sporadically and causing panic among residents. Several houses were also set ablaze during the raid, forcing many villagers to flee into the bush for safety.
A community leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns, confirmed the casualty figure.
“The bandits invaded Woro and Nuku in large numbers. About 10 people have so far been confirmed dead, and we are still searching for others who ran into the bush during the attack. Many houses were also set on fire,” the source said.
Reacting to the incident, the Kwara State Government expressed sadness over the killings, noting that Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq was personally monitoring the situation.
In a statement issued on Tuesday night, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, described the attack as a “cowardly expression of frustration” by terrorist elements in response to sustained security operations in the state.
“The governor condemns the attack, which he describes as a cowardly expression of frustration by terrorist cells following the ongoing counter-terrorism campaigns and the successes so far recorded,” the statement read.
The government further alleged that the timing of the attack was aimed at diverting the attention of security agencies and undermining recent gains recorded against kidnapping and banditry in the area.
Governor Abdulrazaq extended his condolences to the families of the victims and the people of Kaiama Local Government Area, assuring them that security agencies had been directed to intensify operations and prevent further attacks.
As of the time of filing this report, the Kwara State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement on the incident or on the deployment of additional security personnel to the affected communities.