By Ahmed Abdulkadir
Bakori, Katsina State – October 28, 2025
A fresh wave of bandit attacks has left several people dead, injured, and kidnapped in Ganjar, Gidan Nagari, and Alhazawa communities of Kabomo and Kurami/’Yankwani wards in Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State. The attacks, which occurred on Saturday, October 25, 2025, also resulted in the rustling of cattle and the destruction of properties.
A community leader, Mahadi Danbinta Guga, confirmed the incident in a series of social media posts, describing the assault as “brutal” and “traumatizing.” He said he visited the affected communities on Monday, October 27, to condole with the victims and assess the situation firsthand.
“The tension caused by the loss and kidnapping of loved ones, coupled with the destruction of wealth and property, is unbelievably unbearable,” he lamented. “The trauma, the panic, and the confusion are indescribable.”
The incident came less than two weeks after a peace treaty was reportedly reached in Kakumi, involving five local governments, including Bakori. Danbinta Guga expressed optimism that the peace agreement could still be salvaged if all concerned parties renewed their commitment.
In a separate update, he disclosed that two residents, identified as Kado Hassan Jamola and Nura Iliya Magaji, were kidnapped on Monday afternoon, October 27, at around 1:40 p.m., in Guga suburb — further deepening fears among locals.
Mahdi Danbinta, a respected elder and politician in the area, has himself suffered multiple bandit-related tragedies. His first wife was kidnapped in an earlier attack, while his second wife narrowly escaped when her apartment was set ablaze.
He called on the government to take urgent and decisive action to secure rural communities across Katsina State. “People are dying, displaced, kidnapped, robbed, and their economy destroyed,” he said. “The victims should have equal rights to living as the bandits.”
Hasbunallahu wa ni’imal wakil (Allah is sufficient for us and He is the best disposer of affairs), he concluded.
Disclaimer:
This report is based on eyewitness and community sources, including verified social media statements. Official confirmation from security agencies or government authorities was still being awaited at the time of publication.
This news from Ganjar, Gidan Nagari, Alhazawa, and the Guga suburb is nothing short of heartbreaking and infuriating. As an indigen of this area, reading the details—the scores killed, the families shattered by kidnappings, the livestock rustled, the destruction of homes—it all hits far too close to home. The pain is real and it is unbearable.
A Betrayal of Hope
The most bitter pill to swallow is the fact that these brutal attacks occurred less than two weeks after a highly publicized peace treaty. This is not just a failure of security; it is a profound betrayal of the hope our communities clung to. It confirms that for the bandits, these “peace agreements” are nothing more than a temporary tactic, a joke played on the lives and livelihoods of our people.
Living in Perpetual Trauma
Mahadi Danbinta Guga’s words are chillingly accurate: “The trauma, the panic, and the confusion are indescribable.” This is the daily reality of our rural communities now. When men like Kado Hassan Jamola and Nura Iliya Magaji can be snatched in the afternoon in a suburb like Guga, it tells us that there is no safe time and no safe place. Every sound, every shadow, becomes a source of anxiety. We are forced to live in a state of perpetual siege.
The suffering of elders like Mahdi Danbinta, who has seen his wife kidnapped and his other wife nearly burnt alive, encapsulates the collective tragedy. These are our leaders, our respected figures, and even they are helpless.
A Call for Decisive Action
I stand with Danbinta Guga and every voice demanding a radical change from the government. The victims of these attacks—the farmers, the petty traders, the mothers, and the children—deserve equal rights to life and security as any other citizen.
We need more than condolences and press statements. We demand:
Immediate Military Sweep: A decisive, coordinated operation by the military and security forces across the identified flashpoints of the five LGAs, not just for a few days, but until the threat is neutralized.
Permanent Presence: Establishing permanent, well-equipped security posts in and around these vulnerable rural communities.
Accountability: A clear explanation of why the recent peace treaty failed, and who will be held responsible for the lapse in intelligence that allowed these attacks to happen. We cannot continue to merely count the dead, ransom the kidnapped, and start over until the next attack. The economy of Bakori is being destroyed, our social fabric is tearing, and our future is being stolen.
Hasbunallahu wa ni’imal wakil. We put our trust in Allah, but we implore those in power to use the mandate we gave them to protect us. Do not let us be forgotten. Our lives matter.