No fewer than 30 people were killed on Tuesday in separate attacks by suspected bandits on rural communities in Katsina and Kwara States, as armed groups renewed deadly raids that left homes and vehicles in flames and terrified residents fleeing for safety.
In Katsina State, at least 20 people were reportedly killed when gunmen attacked Doma community in Tafoki ward of Faskari local government area, storming the village unhindered and unleashing violence that residents described as one of the worst in months.
Witnesses said the assailants moved through the community shooting indiscriminately before setting houses and vehicles ablaze, leaving devastation in their wake.
The chairman of Faskari local government area, Surajo Aliyu, confirmed the incident, describing it as a reprisal attack and the deadliest the area had witnessed in recent months.
“This attack is a reprisal one, and it is a deadly one indeed because we had never had such an attack in the last five months in this area as it is today,” Aliyu said.
Aliyu said security operatives were alerted but arrived too late 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 said.
He added that the bodies of those killed had been evacuated ahead of burial scheduled for Wednesday morning in Tafoki.
“We sympathise 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 was among local government areas that entered into a truce with armed groups about five months ago, a move that had brought relative calm until the latest violence shattered the fragile peace.
Attempts to obtain a response from the Katsina State Police Command proved unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to the police spokesperson, DSP Abubakar Sadiq, were not answered at the time of filing.
Meanwhile, in Kwara state, at least 10 villagers were killed on Tuesday evening when gunmen attacked Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama local government area.
Residents said the attackers, believed to be operating from the Borgu National Park forest in neighbouring Niger state, invaded the communities around 6pm, firing sporadically and triggering panic. Several houses were reportedly set on fire during the raid.
A community leader, speaking anonymously for security reasons, confirmed the death toll.
“The bandits invaded Woro and Nuku in large numbers. About 10 people so far have been confirmed dead, and we are still searching for others who fled into the bush during the attack. Many houses were also set ablaze,” he said.
The Kwara state government expressed sorrow over the killings, saying the governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, was monitoring the situation closely.
In a statement issued late Tuesday, the governor’s chief press secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, described the attack as a “cowardly expression of frustration” by terrorist cells in response to ongoing security operations in the state.
“The governor condemns the attack, which he says is a cowardly expression of frustration by terrorist cells following the ongoing counter-terrorism campaigns in parts of the state and the successes so far recorded,” the statement said.
The government suggested the assault was timed to divert the attention of security forces and undermine recent gains against kidnapping gangs.
Abdulrazaq offered condolences to the families of the victims and the people of Kaiama, while directing security agencies to intensify operations to prevent further attacks.
As of the time of filing this report, the Kwara State police command had yet to issue a formal statement on the killings or confirm whether additional security personnel had been deployed to the affected communities.
