Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Henry Owen
Abuja, Nigeria — Residents of Southern Maska in Funtua Local Government Area of Katsina State have sounded fresh alarms over a surge in insecurity, saying attacks by armed bandits continue unabated even after multiple peace agreements were reportedly brokered earlier between local stakeholders and some armed groups. Community members described an atmosphere of terror in dozens of villages across the axis, where killings, kidnappings, extortion and threats have become part of daily life and undermined confidence in brokered peace efforts.
Villages including Unguwar Mailaya, Asharaha, Burma, Gobirawa, Gwangwari, Dan Tudu, Tudun Maje, Kurku, Ganwai, Yar Tasha, Gursudu, Batarawa, Gidan Alhaji Koshe, Dan Kunsai, Hayin Gishiri, Unguwar Dini, Gidan Soda, Yambu and others have been repeatedly targeted in violent raids that residents say show no sign of abating. Armed groups operating across the Maska and neighbouring corridors have been implicated in ambushes, killings, kidnappings for ransom, theft of livestock and property destruction, contributing to a pervasive sense of vulnerability.
Only days ago, an attempted invasion of Unguwar Mailaya was reportedly thwarted by vigilant residents, but the threat swiftly migrated to nearby Kauran Fawa in Dandume Local Government Area, where eight people were reportedly killed in a subsequent attack. Villagers recounted that armed men now phone them directly to demand payments described locally as haraji — levies extorted under threat of violence — with residents left feeling abandoned by state protection forces.
“We don’t see enough security personnel here, and that is why they are bold,” one source told reporters, echoing widespread frustration over the perceived absence of effective policing and military presence in rural belts that have historically remained vulnerable due to limited infrastructure and difficult terrain.
The re-emergence of violent attacks raises urgent questions about the status and credibility of the peace agreements that were reached between community representatives and armed bandit leaders in recent months. In October 2025, a peace accord was documented in Bakori Local Government Area, involving various local government representatives — including Funtua — and bandit figures, with commitments to cease hostilities under the Operation Safe Corridor initiative. The accord aimed to foster dialogue and reduce clashes that have gripped the Katsina and wider North-West region for years.
Yet the continuation of killings and threats has forced analysts, community leaders and residents alike to question whether such agreements have been upheld or were sufficiently inclusive and enforceable. Critics argue that many of the accords lack clear enforcement mechanisms, transparency and wide community engagement, allowing some armed factions to resume criminal activity with impunity. The absence of unified leadership among bandit groups has also been cited as a structural problem undermining the sustainability of negotiated truces.
The insecurity in Katsina does not exist in isolation. Other parts of the state have suffered under similar violence, with past reports noting deadly incursions into urban centres and hospital compounds, as well as cattle rustling and kidnapping incidents that have terrorised farmers and traders alike. Commentators link these patterns to broader issues of governance, slow economic development, proliferation of small arms, porous borders and weak rural security infrastructure.
Adding to the complexity is public debate over the state government’s approach to negotiations. While some officials previously engaged in peace dialogue with armed groups as a conflict resolution strategy, there has been pushback from civil society and security advocates who see such deals as legitimising criminal actors and weakening the rule of law. A recently published statement by a northern civil society coalition criticised the Katsina government’s use of bandit releases as part of sustaining peace deals, arguing that such measures undermine justice and embolden perpetrators amid ongoing violence.
Beyond the immediate security threats, residents fear that the cycle of violence is damaging the fabric of rural society — disrupting farming and trading activities, displacing families, closing schools, and driving internal migration toward more secure urban areas. The psychological toll on communities that have endured repeated attacks cannot be understated, with many families living in perpetual fear and children growing up in an environment where threats of violence are a daily reality.
Calls for urgent government intervention have become louder. Villagers and local leaders are urging the Katsina State Government and federal security agencies to deploy more troops, establish robust community policing units and strengthen intelligence operations to protect lives and property. Many advocates also suggest that peace agreements must be backed by concrete implementation plans, accountability mechanisms, and inclusive community consultations to restore trust in negotiated outcomes.
There is also growing consensus among security analysts that addressing insecurity in rural Katsina requires a multifaceted strategy beyond short-term truce pacts. Long-term solutions are said to lie in expanding socioeconomic opportunities, investing in rural infrastructure, enhancing education, and reinforcing the capacity of local governance to respond more effectively to threats. This holistic view frames peace not merely as an absence of violence but as a state of social stability and resilience against criminal networks.
In the meantime, residents continue to pray for divine intervention and a restoration of peace in their communities and across Nigeria, hoping that decisive action will avert further loss of life and restore a sense of normalcy to regions that have endured years of hardship.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments