Kankara Resident Shot Dead In His Home As Bandits Continue Midnight Raids

Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.

KANKARA, Nigeria – A resident of Kankara town in Katsina State, Suleiman Badamasi, was shot dead by suspected bandits who stormed his private residence on the night of Thursday, June 11, 2026, in the latest of a series of violent attacks that have left the community in a state of perpetual fear. The attack, which occurred around 10 p.m., saw the assailants force their way into Badamasi’s home before opening fire, killing him instantly.

A community source who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed the incident to reporters, stating that the attackers arrived on motorcycles and operated unchallenged for several minutes before fleeing. “They came in through the back of the house. He was the only one they targeted,” the source said. The attackers left the residence immediately after the shooting, and no other casualties were reported in the immediate vicinity. The body of the victim was recovered and has since been prepared for burial according to Islamic rites. The Kankara Divisional Police Officer has been notified, and a team of investigators has been deployed to the area, though no arrests have been made as of the time of this report.

The killing of Badamasi is not an isolated incident. Kankara town and its surrounding villages have become a recurring theatre of bandit violence, with residents enduring a relentless campaign of killings, abductions and livestock rustling. On June 8, bandits attacked Gurbi community in the same local government area, killing 11 persons and leaving two others wounded. Earlier in the week, on June 4, bandits imposed a ₦60 million levy on residents of Tashar Kaɗanya village, threatening violence if the payment was not made. Just days before that, armed men attacked the Kankara General Hospital, shot a medical doctor, Dr. Murtala Dandashire, in the thigh, and abducted five others from the facility.

The deteriorating security situation in Kankara LGA has forced many residents to flee their homes, while those who remain live under the constant threat of attack. Farmers have been unable to access their fields, and several communities have been placed under what security analysts have described as a “siege economy,” where bandits effectively control movement and impose their own rules. Reports have also emerged of schools being forced to shut down, and churches have been closed across several communities due to the pervasive fear of attacks. On June 3, it was reported that over 10 churches had been shut down across Katsina State as a direct result of worsening insecurity.

The Kankara axis has long been identified as a stronghold for bandit activity, with the vast Rugu Forest providing cover for armed groups that operate across the borders of Katsina, Zamfara and Kaduna states. According to security sources, several notorious bandit leaders, including the late Auwal Daudawa, who was responsible for the 2020 mass abduction of over 300 schoolboys in Kankara, operated from bases within the area. The group currently led by a kingpin identified as Babaro has reportedly established effective control over parts of Kankara LGA, banning farming activities and imposing illegal levies on communities.

Despite sustained military operations in the North-West region, including clearance patrols and airstrikes by the Nigerian Air Force, the attacks have continued unabated. Troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA have in recent weeks intensified operations across Katsina State, but security analysts note that the vastness of the forested terrain and the mobility of the bandits continue to pose significant challenges to the security forces.

The family of the deceased, Suleiman Badamasi, has called on the Katsina State Government and security agencies to bring the perpetrators to justice. “They came to his house and shot him. Why? What did he do to them?” a relative of the victim asked in a telephone interview. “We want justice. We want the government to protect us.” Community leaders have also appealed to Governor Dikko Umar Radda to expedite the deployment of additional security personnel to Kankara town and to equip the Katsina State Community Watch Corps (C‑Watch) with better arms and communication devices to enable them to respond more effectively to bandit incursions.

As the sun set over Kankara on Friday, June 12, the body of Suleiman Badamasi was laid to rest. His death, though singular, is emblematic of a broader tragedy. Across Katsina State, and across the entire North‑West region, the killing continues. In Kankara alone, security reports indicate that over 50 persons have been killed in bandit attacks since the beginning of the year, with dozens more abducted and hundreds of cattle rustled. The question on every resident's lips is the same: how long will this violence continue, and what concrete measures are being taken to protect them? The answer, for now, remains buried in the silence of the forest that has become the bandits’ fortress.

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