Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Henry Owen
Two villagers were killed and six others abducted late on Friday night in fresh attacks by armed bandits in Kankara Local Government Area of Nigeria’s northern Katsina State, underscoring the fragility of security even amid reports of a peace deal intended to curb violence.
Local residents say heavily armed men on motorcycles struck Dan Nakwabo and Madobai villages at around 9:00 p.m., opening fire as they moved through the rural communities. In Dan Nakwabo, a man and a woman — reportedly the children of a local businessman, Alhaji Dan Azimi — were shot dead before the assailants carried off two residents. In nearby Madobai, four more people were abducted, though no fatalities were immediately reported. Survivors described chaotic scenes of gunfire and panic as families fled into the night.
By Saturday morning, grieving relatives carried out burials for the slain villagers in accordance with Islamic rites, while others began the difficult process of accounting for the six kidnapped survivors. Residents, still in shock, said the violence shattered whatever sense of security had taken hold in the area. As of this report, neither the Katsina State Police Command nor the state government had issued an official comment on the attack.
The incident casts a harsh light on ongoing insecurity in Kankara, a region that has repeatedly featured in reports of kidnappings, killings, and cattle rustling over recent years. Despite periodic announcements of peace efforts and truces between local leaders and armed groups, violence has shown little sign of abating. Community-led peace talks and arrangements under initiatives such as Operation Safe Corridor were reported in late 2025 as attempts to halt years of bloodshed across parts of Katsina, including the Funtua and Kankara zones. However, observers have questioned both the terms and effectiveness of such agreements, with some state officials later denying the existence of any formal government-sanctioned peace pact with criminal elements.
Security experts and residents note a pattern in which so-called peace deals sometimes produce temporary lulls, only to be followed by renewed attacks. In several instances across the northwest region, bandits have resumed violent operations even after publicised negotiations, leaving many to question whether these truces address the deeper causes of insecurity or simply offer fleeting respite.
The broader context of bandit violence in northern Nigeria has been marked by protracted clashes between armed groups and government forces, repeated abductions for ransom, and frequent raids on farming communities and rural settlements. Katsina, long a flashpoint for such activity, has suffered significant losses, including the deaths of many security personnel and community defense volunteers engaged in efforts to protect vulnerable villagers.
Political leaders and lawmakers have expressed grave concern over the persistence of attacks, calling for increased deployment of security forces and more effective strategies to safeguard citizens. In some cases, state assemblies have urged federal intervention and a coordinated approach to quell the violence. At the same time, there are growing debates about whether negotiated truces with armed groups undermine state authority or represent pragmatic steps toward lasting peace.
Human rights advocates and regional analysts highlight the devastating socio-economic impact of repeated attacks, particularly on farming communities that have been forced to abandon their lands due to fear of raids. The disruption of agricultural cycles not only threatens food security in Katsina but also reverberates through local and national markets reliant on produce from these fertile regions.
In neighbouring states such as Zamfara and Sokoto, similar dynamics have played out, with peace initiatives occasionally collapsing under renewed violence. Critics argue that without robust frameworks that integrate disarmament, reintegration, and community development, such agreements are vulnerable to exploitation by armed groups seeking respite to regroup and rearm.
Security forces in the region, including the Nigerian army, police, and civil defense units, have continued offensive operations against bandit hideouts and criminal encampments, with some reported successes in dismantling camps and neutralising suspects. Yet, these efforts often struggle to translate into lasting safety on the ground, as militants disperse into remote forested areas and resurface to launch fresh raids.
For residents of Kankara and surrounding areas, the latest attacks are a grim reminder of the precarious nature of life in parts of northern Nigeria where insecurity has become endemic. Families traumatised by loss and fear now face uncertain futures as they grapple with the aftermath of violence and the ongoing threat of further raids.
The question looming over Katsina’s beleaguered communities is stark: can peace — whether brokered through formal agreements or enforced through security measures — truly take hold in an environment where armed groups remain active, and the roots of conflict run deep?
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