Armed bandits kill women, children in north-west Nigeria

Gunmen killed at least 10 people, including women and children, in an attack on a rural community in Nigeria’s north-western Katsina State on May 17, residents have said.

The assailants also set fire to homes and stole livestock during the raid, Caliber.Az reports, citing Reuters.

The north-west of Nigeria has experienced a surge in attacks by armed groups locally referred to as “bandits”, who frequently raid villages, kill or kidnap residents, and burn property, often targeting rural communities with limited security presence.

The latest attack took place in the Guga community in Bakori Local Government Area, where armed men stormed farming settlements and opened fire, according to eyewitness accounts.

Resident Sale Musa, who escaped the attack, told Reuters the gunmen targeted the settlements of Gidan Sarkin Noma and Gidan Wawu.

“Yesterday evening, heavily armed bandits with sophisticated weapons attacked the farming settlements ... After opening fire, they ​captured 10 people, including a pregnant woman, and killed all of them,” he noted.

He added that the assault occurred around 4 p.m. local time, when many residents had gone to a nearby market ahead of Eid al-Kabir celebrations, leaving the area vulnerable.

Another resident, Tajjudeen Dauda, said the attackers burned homes, destroyed property and stole livestock during the raid.

A third resident, Muhammad Nuhu, said the community had faced repeated attacks in recent months, but described Sunday’s incident as the most severe.

Police in Katsina State did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Nigeria has been grappling with widespread insecurity, particularly in the north, ranging from a long-running Islamist insurgency in the north-east to mass kidnappings and armed banditry in the north-west.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov