Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Katsina State, Nigeria — Armed bandits yesterday stormed Gidan Sarki community in Tuge Ward, Musawa Local Government Area, killing residents, abducting scores of people and looting livestock, according to eyewitness accounts from the affected villages. The raid has shattered a fragile peace that local leaders had secured with armed groups, leaving entire communities displaced and living in makeshift conditions.
Residents who survived the attack said the gunmen arrived with little warning, opening fire indiscriminately, killing several villagers and abducting more than 20 people. The assailants also looted livestock, including cattle and goats, before retreating into surrounding forests. Survivors fled in panic, seeking refuge in nearby bushlands, graveyards, abandoned wells, on rooftops and under trees to evade further violence, according to firsthand accounts from displaced families.
The assault has created a humanitarian crisis in Tuge Ward, where many villagers who depended on farming and livestock have now lost their livelihoods and homes. Children, elderly residents and women are among those now displaced, facing exposure to the elements and acute shortages of food, shelter and basic care.
The attack comes despite a peace agreement brokered between Musawa local government stakeholders and bandit groups, which was intended to end cycles of raids and kidnappings in the area. Katsina State’s recent initiative to engage in community‑led peace deals with so‑called “repentant bandits” has seen some temporary calm in parts of the state, and prompted the government to consider releasing suspects in custody in exchange for guarantees of peace. Officials have defended the approach as a means to consolidate localized truces that have already led to the release of about 1,000 abductees in other areas. Nevertheless, critics have warned that such accords are fragile and often fail to prevent renewed violence.
Security analysts note that the sheer number of attacks and kidnappings in north‑west Nigeria — including neighbouring communities in Zamfara State, where armed groups have in recent months abducted dozens of villagers during mosque attacks and other raids — reflects the persistent challenge of banditry in the region. In past incidents across the northwest, armed bandits have ambushed communities at dawn or dusk, killing civilians and seizing captives, often forcing entire villages to flee in fear.
Locals say the peace deal was never fully implemented on the ground, with many community members expressing dismay at the lack of effective protection following the agreement. “We were told there would be peace, but today we are running for our lives,” a displaced resident in Musawa told reporters, lamenting that children and elderly relatives had nowhere safe to stay. Many of those forced from their homes are still wandering near bush edges, afraid to return as bandit groups are believed to be roaming unchecked in nearby forests.
The timing of the attack has drawn criticism from local civil society leaders and advocacy groups, who argue that the state government’s strategy of releasing suspected criminals to secure temporary truces may be emboldening other armed groups to intensify violence, knowing that negotiated deals can be easily overturned. They say security operations need to be coupled with sustained military presence and rapid response mechanisms that protect villagers before and after peace arrangements are struck.
In response to the Gidan Sarki raid, traditional leaders and community representatives have appealed to the state government and federal security agencies for urgent intervention, pleading for deployment of troops, improved intelligence gathering and reinforcement of local vigilante networks to deter further attacks and stabilise the region.
Authorities in Katsina have not yet issued an official statement confirming casualty figures or the number of abductees from the Musawa raid. However, citizens in surrounding areas have expressed deep frustration with what they describe as delayed security responses and an absence of effective patrols along remote highways and bush tracks that bandits often use for quick incursions.
Human rights advocates, while condemning the violence, emphasise that any sustainable peace must include justice, accountability and protection for victims, not merely negotiated truces with armed actors. Recent commentary by national advocacy groups has stressed that “peace built on appeasement and judicial compromise” risks undermining public confidence in the rule of law and may fail to deliver long‑term security unless backed by clear commitments from affected communities and security forces.
For survivors now scattered in forests and unsafe makeshift camps, the immediate needs are shelter, food and medical attention, with many calling for humanitarian support while they await any hope of returning home. The violence has revived fears that Katsina’s northwest belt remains vulnerable to the same cycles of banditry, displacement and trauma that have afflicted neighbouring states for years, underscoring the urgent need for robust and sustained security interventions.
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