Tension has gripped residents of Yan Kwada village in Faruruwa community of Shanono Local Government Area, Kano State, following a late-night attack by armed bandits on Sunday, during which five women, including nursing mothers, were abducted.
Eyewitnesses told Daily Trust and other local reporters that the gunmen invaded the village around 11:00 pm, shooting sporadically to instill fear and forcing residents to flee into nearby bushes. The attackers reportedly broke into homes, whisking away women — four of whom were nursing mothers — before escaping into the night.
A resident, who identified himself as Bello Shanono, said the community had barely recovered from a similar attack weeks earlier when the bandits struck again. “They came shooting from every direction. We were helpless. They took five women; two later managed to escape, but three are still missing,” he said.
Although no fatalities were recorded in the Sunday assault, villagers said the attackers operated for nearly an hour without any security response, underscoring growing fears about the expansion of banditry into Kano State, a region once considered relatively safe compared to neighboring Katsina and Zamfara States.
Local sources believe the attackers may be part of groups fleeing military operations and peace deals in Katsina State, which have pushed bandits into bordering areas like Shanono, Tsanyawa, and Rogo LGAs in Kano.
Community leaders have since called on the Kano State Government and security agencies to strengthen patrols and deploy more personnel to rural settlements now under increasing threat.
While no official statement has yet been issued by the Kano State Police Command, reports from Sahara Reporters and Daily Post indicate that authorities are aware of the situation and are stepping up surveillance along the Kano–Katsina border corridor to prevent further incursions.
Residents say many families are already relocating to safer areas as fear and uncertainty grip the farming community ahead of the harvest season.
A local elder, Malam Adamu Faruruwa, lamented the worsening situation: “We can no longer sleep in peace. Our women and children are not safe, and our farms are abandoned. If government doesn’t act fast, these people will overrun our villages.”
Security analysts have warned that the northward shift of bandit activities into Kano could open a new front in Nigeria’s protracted fight against rural terrorism, threatening food security and displacing thousands.
For now, the fate of the three missing women remains unknown as search efforts by locals continue while they await a coordinated rescue operation.