15 Katsina villages deserted as bandits step up attacks

At least 15 villages in Katsina State's Dandume Local Government Area have been abandoned due to increased bandit attacks, according to residents. The intensifying insecurity has caused fear, restricted movement, and disrupted farming and other economic activities. In Funtua, residents reported that bandits recently attacked Unity Bank, seized cattle, and engaged security personnel in a gun battle.

Bandits also terrorized the Unguwar Shanu neighborhood, exchanging gunfire with security forces and killing one individual. In Bakori, residents expressed growing concerns over the dangers of movement between communities, with bandits even abducting two people last Friday. Dandume residents reported that bandits have attacked almost daily for the past two weeks, killing, abducting, or driving away people and livestock.

Over 100 people have been abducted in the area during this period, with many still held captive. Bandits have taken ransom money and motorcycles without releasing victims. Some families, like the one who paid ransom to free their abducted son, have lost more than 30 cattle. The BBC reports that the relentless attacks have forced some communities to flee, leaving about 15 villages completely deserted.