Terrorists kill 24 people in Katsina

Thursday, May 7, 2026 - No fewer than 24 people have been k!lled by bandits in separate attacks on Jikamshi and Gwalgoro communities in Musawa and Kankia Local Government Areas of Katsina State.

According to Daily Trust, the latest incident occurred on Monday evening at Jikamshi market, where seven people were shot d3ad as traders were closing for the day.

This comes as military neutralised 45 terrorists during a gun battle with bandits terrorising the Danmusa Local Government Area of Katsina State.

Residents said about 15 armed men riding motorcycles stormed the market, opened fire, and looted goods worth millions of naira.

A resident and chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in Musawa LGA confirmed that the victims had been buried according to Islamic rites.

He described the attack as devastating and called for urgent intervention by authorities.

“The scale of the attack is enormous. We believe in the efforts of the state government, but the situation is beyond its control. There must be moral, financial and military support from the federal government,” he said.

Among those k!lled was Tukur Aliyu, who had just returned from Lagos after attending his daughter’s wedding. 

 Family sources said he left behind three wives, about 20 children and several dependents.

 One of his wives, who spoke on condition of anonymity, lamented the family’s uncertain future.

 “Our lives are in danger now. He was our breadwinner, struggling to keep the family going. Now he is gone, we don’t know how we will survive,” she said.

Rabi’u Ashiru, 35, a trader dealing in phones and recharge cards, was also k!lled in his shop at Bakin Kasuwa, Jikamshi. His wedding was scheduled to take place in a few months, it was gathered.

His father, Ashiru Ba Zama, said the loss had left the family devastated.

“We are completely confused. We have lost a pillar of the family. He paid school fees, fed us and catered to our needs. We don’t know what to do,” he said, fighting back tears.

A former member of the Jikamshi security committee, Bilyaminu Abubakar, who recently relocated to Katsina city due to insecurity, described the attacks as a calculated effort to destabilise the region.

“Those who claimed to have repented but did not lay down their arms are still terrorising our communities. Authorities are aware, but nothing tangible is being done,” he alleged.

Another victim of the Jikamshi attack, Umar Salisu,  55, left behind about 16 children and two wives. The family described the attack as the worst thing that had ever happened to them.

Salisu’s wife, Amina, lamented the attack saying the family had been devastated.

“Let me tell you we’re finished; the future of this family is uncertain,” she added.

Salisu’s friend, Nura Jikamshi, called on the authorities to intervene immediately to prevent humanitarian crises. “I want to appeal for support for the families of the deceased,” he said.

In a separate attack over the weekend, about 17 residents of Gwalgoro village in Kankia LGA were reportedly k!lled by bandits. Many women and children have since fled the area for safety.The incident happened on Saturday.

While the Katsina State government said 11 people were k!lled during the attack, residents insisted that they lost 17 people.

A resident who preferred not to be mentioned for security reasons said that they had buried 17 of their loved ones, according to the Islamic injunction.

“D3ath or k!lling is not something you can exaggerate for whatever reason, morally and religiously, so the exact number is 17 as I told you,” the resident said.

However, the state’s Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Nasiru Mu’azu, said 11 people were k!lled following a reprisal by bandits, hours after security forces succeeded in foiling an earlier assault and neutralised several members of the gang.

According to him, the violence began on May 2, when intelligence reports revealed that a notorious bandit leader, identified as Mohammadu, was leading armed men towards key bridges in Kankia Local Government Area.

Upon receiving the information, members of the community alerted security agencies.

The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Kankia subsequently mobilised and led a joint security team to intercept the attackers. 

Security operatives engaged the bandits in a confrontation, neutralising several of them and recovering eight motorcycles as well as rustled cattle. The statement said the recovered items are currently in police custody.

According to the commissioner, the bandits later regrouped and, in retaliation for the losses suffered, launched a fresh attack on Gwalgoro village in Gyaza/Kunduru Ward at about noon the same day.

During the attack, 11 residents were k!lled in what the government described as a “cowardly assault on innocent civilians."

Residents of Jikamshi town took to the streets in protest following the d3adly bandit attack.

Witnesses accounts indicated that the gunmen operated in groups to divert attention during the attack.

One resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said some of the attackers initially engaged members of the Katsina State Community Watch Corps (C-WATCH) who attempted to stop them by pursuing the security men away.

He stated that after evading the local security team, the other group of attackers reportedly advanced into the town and began shooting at residents.

He revealed that among the victims were a man returning from the market on a motorcycle, a driver, a woman seated behind him in the car, and a young child.

He further revealed that the gunmen also targeted traders at the local market, where at least five people were shot, including a phone charging vendor and a man said to have been preparing for his daughter’s wedding.

However, a community source said members of the Community Watch Corps managed to neutralise one of the attackers, although his body was later retrieved by his accomplices, who took him away.

In the aftermath of the attack, angry youths staged a protest, blocking major roads, burning tyres and restricting movement along the axis.

Although travellers were later allowed to pass, a vehicle suspected to belong to government officials was reportedly vandalised, as demonstrators expressed frustration over what they described as inadequate government response to recurring attacks.

Residents called on authorities to urgently strengthen security in the area, including the deployment of additional personnel and the establishment of a mobile police camp.

“We need a stronger security presence. This situation is beyond the capacity of the Community Watch Corps. We appreciate the armoured vehicle provided earlier, but more needs to be done,” a resident said.