Barely days after a reported peace agreement was reached, suspected bandits have launched fresh attacks on several communities in Katsina State, raising renewed concerns over the effectiveness of negotiated truces with armed groups.
The attacks occurred in Malumfashi Local Government Area, where armed men stormed Unguwar Alhaji Barau, Gidan Dan Mai-gizo and Gidan Hazo, all in Na’alma Ward. Residents said the assailants arrived in large numbers, firing sporadically, killing some villagers, injuring others and abducting several people whose whereabouts remain unknown.
Local sources disclosed that the affected communities had only recently been assured of calm following a peace deal reportedly brokered between community representatives and bandit leaders operating in the area. The latest violence has, however, shattered that assurance, forcing many residents to flee their homes in fear of further attacks.
Eyewitnesses said the attackers looted food items, livestock and other valuables before withdrawing, leaving behind panic and destruction. “We thought the agreement would bring relief, but now the situation is worse,” a resident lamented.
The incident has reignited debate over the repeated collapse of similar peace deals across parts of Katsina, where banditry, kidnapping and cattle rustling have persisted despite local negotiations and military operations. Security analysts warn that without strict enforcement and sustained security presence, such agreements risk becoming temporary pauses rather than lasting solutions.
Community leaders and residents are now calling on the Katsina State Government and federal security agencies to move beyond fragile truces and adopt decisive, coordinated measures to protect rural communities, secure abducted victims and dismantle bandit networks operating in the region.
As of the time of filing this report, security agencies were yet to issue an official statement on the attack, while residents remain on edge amid fears of further reprisals
Abuja Network News
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