Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Bauchi State security sources and community accounts indicate that suspected armed bandits attacked Belen Lafiya community in Pali District of Alkaleri Local Government Area (LGA) on the night of Sunday, 15 February 2026, killing one person and abducting several others in a violent raid that has further heightened insecurity and fear among local residents. Although formal statements from security agencies on the Belen Lafiya incident were not available at the time of reporting, the assault is consistent with a pattern of banditry and kidnappings affecting rural communities in the northern regions of Nigeria, including Bauchi State.
Eyewitness accounts from people in and around Alkaleri LGA describe how groups of armed men, believed to be bandits, rode into Belen Lafiya under the cover of darkness, firing weapons and overwhelming villagers before retreating into surrounding bushland. Survivors reported a chaotic scene in which residents with little warning fled their homes and sought safety as gunfire echoed through the community. One person was killed during the invasion, and several others were taken by the attackers; family members and neighbours have since been searching for information on the abducted individuals as tension and fear grip the area.
This attack in Belen Lafiya occurred less than 48 hours after another high-profile bandit assault in the same LGA that targeted the residence of a prominent religious leader. In that earlier incident, suspected bandits invaded the compound of Imam Abubakar Muhammad Digare, the Chief Imam of Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Ikamatus Sunnah (JIBWIS) in Digare town, Alkaleri LGA, and abducted his wives and daughters along with other residents. According to multiple local news reports, the raid took place on Saturday night and saw gunmen break into the imam’s home, forcefully taking several people to an undisclosed location, prompting widespread alarm and intensifying concerns about the spread of criminal violence in the state. Security officials had not publicly released an exact figure for the number of abductees as of the most recent reporting, leaving families in distress and communities apprehensive.
The twin assaults — one on a religious leader’s household followed closely by the Belen Lafiya raid — have compounded anxiety among residents of Alkaleri LGA and neighbouring communities. Local leaders and security observers say such attacks undermine confidence in local safety and illustrate the expanding reach of armed criminal groups across Nigeria’s interior regions. They point out that bandit operations in Bauchi have become more audacious, with assailants increasingly carrying out coordinated night incursions, indiscriminate shootings, kidnappings for ransom, and other violent crimes that target both rural villagers and families of prominent figures.
Bauchi State, located in the northeastern part of the country, has witnessed recurring episodes of banditry in recent years, particularly in areas bordering Gombe, Plateau and Taraba states. These corridors of movement and unmonitored terrain provide safe havens for criminal elements who exploit gaps in security coverage to launch sudden raids on isolated settlements. Past incidents reported from Alkaleri and neighbouring districts have included deadly ambushes, mass abductions and attacks on community protection volunteers and civilians, highlighting the depth of the government’s ongoing security challenges in the region.
In response to the increasing incidents of armed violence, the Bauchi State Government and the Bauchi State Police Command have for months pledged to strengthen patrols, enhance intelligence-gathering, and deploy reinforcement units to vulnerable communities. State officials have in public statements condemned banditry and vowed to hunt down perpetrators, while urging residents to collaborate with security agencies by providing credible information that could lead to the rescue of abducted victims and the disruption of criminal networks operating within and across local government borders.
Security analysts note that the state’s proximity to dense forests and remote paths that straddle multiple local government areas makes sustained security coverage difficult, and that bandits exploit these terrain advantages to strike quickly and disappear before reinforcements arrive. Community leaders have repeatedly called for increased security presence, including regular patrols and tactical responses, to deter future attacks and reassure residents who are becoming increasingly fearful of leaving their homes, attending markets, or engaging in farming activities due to the threat of violence.
The psychological impact of consecutive attacks within a short period is palpable among residents of Alkaleri LGA. Many families affected by abductions and killings have expressed frustration and sorrow, demanding urgent government action and transparent communication about rescue efforts. Some displaced villagers have temporarily relocated to neighbouring towns or sought shelter with relatives as they await reassurance that their communities will be protected.
Humanitarian and civil society groups operating in the region have called for a coordinated response that combines immediate security action with long-term strategies aimed at restoring community trust, enhancing early-warning mechanisms, and addressing the socio-economic underpinnings that can enable criminal groups to recruit and operate. These organisations emphasise that without a multi-faceted approach — blending enhanced policing, community engagement, and development interventions — cycles of violence and displacement may persist, leaving rural populations vulnerable to recurrent bandit incursions.
As investigations continue and security forces pursue leads on the perpetrators of both the Belen Lafiya and Digare attacks, authorities face mounting pressure to demonstrate tangible results that can curb the cycle of violence in Bauchi State. The plight of abducted individuals and bereaved families remains a pressing concern, with broader implications for stability, governance and public confidence in the state’s ability to protect its citizens from relentless criminal threats.
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