No fewer than 30 people were killed on Tuesday in separate bandit attacks on rural communities in Katsina and Kwara states, with assailants razing houses and vehicles and forcing residents to flee.
In Katsina State, at least 20 persons lost their lives when gunmen attacked Doma community in Tafoki Ward of Faskari Local Government Area.
Residents said the attackers stormed the village unchallenged, killing villagers and setting houses and vehicles ablaze before escaping.
Confirming the incident, the Chairman of Faskari LGA, Surajo Aliyu, described it as a reprisal attack and the deadliest recorded in the area in recent months.
“This attack is a reprisal one, and it is a deadly one indeed because we have not had such an attack in the last five months in this area,” Aliyu said.
He added that security agencies were alerted but did not arrive in time to prevent the killings.
“They killed at least 20 people and burnt cars and houses. We reported to security personnel, but unfortunately, they could not arrive before the bandits carried out their heinous act,” he said.
Aliyu disclosed that the bodies of the victims had been evacuated, with burials scheduled for Wednesday morning in Tafoki. He expressed sympathy to the affected families and prayed for an end to the violence.
Faskari LGA had reportedly entered into a truce with bandits about five months ago, which had brought relative calm until the latest attack.
Efforts to obtain a reaction from the Katsina State Police Command were unsuccessful, as calls and messages to the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abubakar Sadiq, went unanswered.
Meanwhile, in Kwara State, at least 10 people were killed on Tuesday evening when bandits attacked Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area.
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The attackers, suspected to have emerged from the Borgu National Park forest in neighbouring Niger State, reportedly invaded the communities around 6:00 pm, firing sporadically and causing panic. Several houses were also set ablaze.
A community leader, who spoke anonymously for security reasons, confirmed the casualties.
“The bandits invaded Woro and Nuku in large numbers. About 10 people have been confirmed dead, and we are still searching for others who fled into the bush. Many houses were also set ablaze,” he said.
Reacting to the incident, the Kwara State Government expressed sorrow over the killings, noting that Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq was personally monitoring the situation.
In a statement issued Tuesday night, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, described the attack as a “cowardly expression of frustration” by terrorist groups in response to ongoing security operations.
The government said the timing of the attack was an attempt to divert security attention and undermine recent gains against kidnapping gangs. Governor Abdulrazaq extended condolences to the victims’ families and assured residents that security operations would be intensified.
As of the time of filing this report, the Kwara State Police Command had yet to issue a formal statement on the incident or any additional deployments.