Tragedy strikes Katsina as bandits kill nine in village raid

Bandits reportedly struck again early Thursday morning at Kuka Babangida village, Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina State, killing no fewer than nine residents including the village head, Idris Haruna.

The chairman of the LG council, Bashir Sabiu, confirmed the incident, alongside the spokesman for the Katsina police command, ASP Abubakar Aliyu.

It was gathered that the bandits attacked the village a few minutes before midnight and operated till around 1:30 am on Thursday.

Villagers said the bandits took time to go from house to house in search of valuables, including money.

Sources further disclosed that the bandits killed the village head, his four children, and four others in the process.

It could not be established whether they abducted people or went away with valuables.

The state Commissioner for Internal Security, Nasiru Muazu who spoke on the incident through his spokesman, Hassan Dan-Alli, said, “The state is committed to the protection of lives and property of people of the state. We shall not relent in our efforts to ensure that our people are safe wherever they are.”

Efforts were being made to bury the victims on Thursday, when this report was filed.

Recall that the bandits killed no fewer than six traders last Friday morning who were on their way to a local market at Yantumaki in the Danmusa Local Government Area of the state.

The traders, who were travelling from Maidabino, were attacked just a few kilometres from the market.

Former Secretary to the Katsina State Government, Alhaji Inuwa Mustapha, has, however, urged governors of North-Western States to jointly tackle banditry instead of doing it individually as currently being done.

He insists that no state can single-handedly tackle the problem.

Inuwa, who is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, in an interview also advised the governors to put pressure on the federal government to assist them in tackling banditry and other crimes in the region.