At least three police officers and one civilian have been killed in separate bandit attacks in Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State, according to a first-hand account shared on social media by a resident, Mahadi Danbinta Guga.
Mahadi Danbinta Guga
In a Facebook post, Mahadi described Tuesday, January 27, 2026, as one of the darkest days in the history of Guga town following the killing of three Mobile Police (MOPOL) officers attached to the Guga Detachment.
According to the account, the officers were attacked around 12:31 p.m. while on patrol after being pursued by a group of armed bandits. Their patrol vehicle was reportedly forced off the road and overturned a few metres before Layin ‘Yannehu, about four kilometres south of the Guga–Bakori road, before it was riddled with bullets during sustained gunfire.
Mahadi said three police personnel were killed in the attack, while two others sustained injuries. The patrol vehicle was also said to have been extensively damaged.
The Facebook post noted that the response by the Bakori Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) was swift and decisive, although the officers had already suffered fatal losses by the time reinforcements arrived. Mahadi also claimed that a guest visiting him in Guga was attacked and robbed of his mobile phone by the same group of bandits.
The attack came barely 24 hours after another deadly incident in the area. On Monday evening, January 26, 2026, bandits reportedly killed a civilian, Malam Musa Sale Kakumi, a resident of Bakori North, while he was returning home from Ƙanƙara.
Malam Musa Sale Kakumi
Mahadi described Ƙanƙara as an area under persistent bandit attacks and said the killing of Malam Musa Sale Kakumi had plunged his family and the Bakori North community into mourning.
The Bakori–Ƙanƙara axis has been one of the hotspots of banditry in Katsina State in recent years, witnessing repeated attacks, abductions, and killings. However, the latest incidents are occurring despite a recently brokered peace deal between the communities and armed groups in Bakori, Ƙanƙara, and several other local government areas of the state. The agreement had led to a noticeable reduction in attacks and was widely seen as a major step toward restoring stability. The resurgence of violence in the axis has therefore raised concerns about the sincerity of some armed groups and the fragility of the peace process. The Minister of Defence has previously frowned at continued attacks in areas where peace agreements are in place, warning that the Federal Government would not tolerate the exploitation of dialogue as a cover for renewed violence.
Mahadi lamented in his post that while political supporters in some parts of the country were celebrating perceived party successes, communities affected by banditry were mourning loved ones lost to violent attacks. He offered prayers for the slain police officers and the civilian victim and called on authorities responsible for security to take firmer action to protect lives and property.
As of the time of filing this report, there was no official statement from the police or other security agencies confirming the incidents.
