Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Security forces in Katsina State have foiled a planned mass kidnapping in Bakori Local Government Area, killing 18 suspected bandits and recovering a cache of arms and rustled livestock in an intelligence-led operation conducted in the early hours of Monday, September 21, 2026. The operation, which took place at about 1:00 a.m. at Gidan Iyado in Kakumi Ward, involved the military, the Department of State Services, hunters, members of the Community Watch Corps and local vigilante groups.
According to a statement by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Dr. Nasir Mua'su, the security personnel laid an ambush after receiving credible intelligence that the criminal group was planning to abduct residents for ransom. "The operation was intelligence-driven. Acting on credible information about planned mass abduction for ransom by the criminal group, our forces laid ambush using operational assets and engaged the bandits," Mua'su said. The combined team overwhelmed the bandits, neutralising 18 of them. No casualty was recorded on the side of the security operatives.
The criminals were allegedly led by one Alhaji Musa Duki, described as a former school headmaster who became a bandit kingpin operating from Mununu Forest in Faskari Local Government Area. Items recovered from the scene included one G3 rifle, two AK-47 rifles, 14 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition, three motorcycles, two cows and 94 sheep, all believed to have been rustled by the gang. The recovery of the livestock highlights the dual nature of the gang's criminal activities, which combined kidnapping with cattle rustling.
Governor Dikko Radda commended the gallantry of the security forces and the community-based groups involved in the operation. He assured residents that a sustained covert operation was ongoing to track and neutralise Duki and dismantle his network completely. "We will not relent until every forest and hideout is cleared," the governor said, adding that efforts were ongoing by the military and the DSS to identify other members of the network, locate their hideouts and prevent further kidnapping operations in Bakori, Faskari and neighbouring communities.
The operation is a significant victory for the community-led security approach that Katsina State has been promoting. The collaboration between formal security agencies, hunters, the Community Watch Corps and vigilante groups proved decisive, with the Commissioner for Internal Security noting that "community-led security works." The state government urged residents to continue providing timely and credible information to support ongoing operations against banditry.
The foiled kidnapping plot comes amid continuing security challenges in Bakori and surrounding areas, where authorities have been working with community-based security groups to disrupt bandit networks and protect rural communities. In August 2026, security forces killed more than 40 suspected bandits during a major operation in Guga Village, also in Bakori LGA. The latest operation underscores the growing effectiveness of intelligence-driven and community-supported operations in the fight against banditry in Katsina State, even as the search for the fleeing kingpin continues.
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