Reported by: Ijeoma .G | Edited by: Henry Owen
Suspected bandits on Friday night, May 22, 2026, reportedly stormed the Ungududu area located behind the Comprehensive Health Centre in Funtua town, Katsina State, firing sporadically and abducting several residents, including men and women, according to local sources and security reports.
Residents said the attackers invaded the community under the cover of darkness, causing panic as gunshots echoed across the neighbourhood while families attempted to flee to safety. Witnesses stated that the gunmen moved through parts of the area during the operation before escaping with several abducted victims to an unknown destination.
As of Saturday, May 23, 2026, authorities had not officially released the exact number or identities of those kidnapped during the attack. There was also no immediate official statement from the Katsina State Police Command regarding the incident. However, residents said security concerns remain high in Funtua and surrounding communities following repeated attacks linked to armed bandit groups operating across Katsina State.
Funtua, one of the major towns in southern Katsina State, has witnessed several security incidents in recent years due to the growing activities of armed gangs involved in kidnappings, killings, cattle rustling, and village raids across the North-West region.
The latest attack follows a series of recent bandit operations reported across Katsina State. On January 23, 2026, Punch reported renewed attacks in parts of Funtua, Dandume, Faskari, Kankara, and other local government areas, where armed groups abducted residents and attacked rural communities despite ongoing peace arrangements in some areas.
In one of the incidents cited in the report, suspected bandits attacked Dikke village in Funtua Local Government Area and abducted several residents after invading the area at night. Local residents said the assailants operated quietly by leaving their motorcycles inside nearby forest areas before trekking into the community to carry out the attack.
Katsina State has remained one of the states most affected by Nigeria’s prolonged banditry crisis. Security analysts have linked the violence to heavily armed criminal networks operating through forest corridors stretching across Katsina, Zamfara, Kaduna, and parts of Sokoto and Niger states.
Earlier reports documented several kidnappings around Funtua and nearby communities. In June 2022, gunmen abducted multiple residents during an attack on Unguwan Shola in Katsina metropolis, while other attacks involving kidnappings and ransom demands have repeatedly been reported in Faskari, Jibia, Bakori, Kankara, and Dutsin-Ma areas.
Residents of affected communities have continued to call for stronger security deployment, especially around vulnerable residential areas and access routes frequently used by armed groups. Community members say attacks often occur late at night when security presence is limited and communication with emergency responders becomes difficult.
As of Saturday morning, efforts to independently confirm the exact number of abducted victims from the Ungududu attack were still ongoing, while families of missing residents reportedly continued searching for information about their relatives.
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