Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Another wave of terror swept through Lakwaya village in Gwarzo Local Government Area of Kano State on Saturday evening, May 16, 2026, as armed bandits launched a fresh attack just as residents were preparing for the Maghrib prayers. The assailants reportedly entered the community through the palace gate of the village head, rustled several cattle, and fled toward the Rugoji axis before security forces could fully mobilise. The incident came barely 24 hours after a separate deadly attack in the same axis that claimed the lives of two residents.
The village head, Idris Adamu Danbarugu, confirmed the latest raid to local reporters, describing how the attackers struck without warning at the dusk hour when many villagers were indoors preparing for evening prayers. “They entered through the palace gate,” Danbarugu told journalists, adding that the bandits made off with a number of cattle before escaping towards the Rugoji area. No casualties were reported in Saturday’s attack, but the psychological impact on the community has been severe, with many families now questioning how safe their homes can be when attacks occur so frequently and with such apparent impunity.
The Saturday raid follows a larger and bloodier assault on the same Lakwaya community that occurred on Thursday, May 14, 2026, around 4:00 p.m. In that earlier attack, more than 30 gunmen on motorcycles stormed the village, shooting sporadically and sending residents fleeing in panic. Two people were killed during that attack, one in Lakwaya and another in the neighbouring settlement of Gidan Biris. The attackers also rustled a significant number of cattle before troops arrived at the scene and engaged them in a gun battle. “Right now, as we are speaking with you, there is a clash going on. Soldiers have just arrived and are responding accordingly,” a traditional ruler had told reporters at the time, his voice captured in news reports that have since been widely circulated.
The recurrence of attacks in Lakwaya within a single week has exposed the persistent vulnerability of rural communities in Kano State’s border areas. Gwarzo Local Government Area lies along the volatile corridor separating Kano from Katsina State, a region that security analysts have long identified as a transit route for armed bandits operating across state lines. Many of the attackers are believed to cross into Kano from Katsina, exploiting the porous border and the dense forest cover to launch raids before retreating to their hideouts.
Residents of Lakwaya have expressed growing frustration over the inability of security forces to prevent these recurring raids. A resident who spoke on condition of anonymity told reporters that the attackers seem to know exactly when security patrols are stretched thin and when response times will be slow. “They came around 4 p.m. on Thursday, and they came again at Maghrib time today. They know our schedules. They know when the soldiers are elsewhere,” the resident said, his voice trembling with a mixture of anger and despair. The rustling of cattle, which are often the primary source of savings and livelihood for rural families, has compounded the economic devastation wrought by the violence.
The former Deputy Governor of Kano State, Comrade Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, has condemned the recent bandit attacks on both the Yankamaye community in Tsanyawa Local Government Area and the Lakwaya community in Gwarzo LGA, describing the incidents as tragic and deeply disturbing. In a statement issued on Friday, Gwarzo called on security agencies to intensify efforts to protect vulnerable communities across the state. “The situation is troubling and calls for prayer. I call on the state and federal governments, as well as relevant security agencies, to intensify efforts to address the security challenges facing our communities,” he said. The former deputy governor warned that the recurring attacks have reached an alarming stage and can no longer be ignored.
The Lakwaya attacks are part of a broader pattern of violence that has plagued Kano’s border communities for months. In early May, bandits attacked Mainika village in the same Gwarzo LGA, killing a herder and rustling over 300 cattle. In another incident, troops of 1 Division recovered 63 rustled cattle following a gun battle with suspected terrorists in Gwarzo LGA. Security authorities have stated that operations are ongoing to combat cattle rustling, banditry, and other criminal activities affecting communities in the North‑West, but residents say the efforts have not translated into a visible reduction in attacks.
The Saturday evening raid on Lakwaya has renewed calls for a more proactive security posture in Kano’s rural areas. Residents are demanding not just reactive deployments but permanent military posts, improved intelligence gathering, and better coordination between state and federal security agencies. They also want the government to address the root causes of banditry, including poverty, unemployment, and the proliferation of small arms across the border regions.
For the people of Lakwaya, the immediate concern is the safety of their families and the protection of their livestock. The village head has appealed to the government to deploy additional security personnel to the area and to establish a permanent military presence that can respond quickly to any future incursions. Until then, the residents of Lakwaya will continue to pray the Maghrib prayer with one eye on the setting sun and the other on the darkening horizon, wondering when the next attack will come.
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