January 26, 2026 | SUNTV Global News
At least four people have been killed and no fewer than 12 others abducted after heavily armed bandits launched fresh attacks on rural communities in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State, raising serious questions about the effectiveness of the state’s controversial peace deal with armed groups.
The latest attacks occurred on Friday night, when gunmen stormed Dan Nakwabo and Madobai villages, operating freely for several minutes despite earlier assurances that negotiations with bandits had reduced violence in the area.
According to local sources and Katsina-based security analyst Malam Bakatsine, the attackers emerged at about 9:00 p.m., firing sporadically as they moved through the communities, triggering panic and mass displacement.
In Dan Nakwabo, two people — a man and a woman identified as children of a prominent businessman, Alhaji Dan Azimi — were shot dead during the raid. The attackers also abducted two other residents before retreating into nearby forests.
In neighbouring Madobai village, no deaths were recorded, but four residents were kidnapped in what locals described as a coordinated operation carried out by the same armed group.
Residents said there was no immediate resistance from security forces, forcing families to flee into surrounding bushes or barricade themselves indoors as gunfire echoed through the night.
By Saturday morning, the victims killed in Dan Nakwabo were buried according to Islamic rites amid grief, anger, and growing distrust of government assurances.
A resident told SUNTV Global that the attack had shattered the fragile sense of safety that followed recent peace talks between bandits and authorities.
“We were told the peace deal was working. Now people are dead again,” the resident said.
Security sources further confirmed that the death toll across Kankara communities has risen to four in recent days, with at least 12 people abducted in multiple bandit-related incidents.
Kankara remains one of the most volatile areas in Katsina State, having suffered years of attacks involving killings, mass abductions, cattle rustling, and large-scale displacement, despite repeated government peace initiatives.
Controversy Over Release Of Suspected Bandits
The renewed violence comes amid growing controversy following the emergence of an official document showing that the Katsina State Government initiated steps to secure the release of dozens of suspected bandits facing criminal trials as part of a peace arrangement.
A January 2, 2026, letter marked “SECRET” and issued by the Katsina State Ministry of Justice requested the intervention of the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee (ACJMC) to facilitate the release of 48 suspects accused of banditry-related offences.
Signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Abdur-Rahman Umar, the letter stated that the releases were a condition for sustaining the peace accord between frontline local governments and bandit groups.
A separate list of 22 inmates facing trial before various High Courts was also submitted for release under the same arrangement.
The state government later confirmed the document, with the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Nasir Muazu, saying the move was intended to consolidate peace agreements across 15 local government areas.
He claimed the initiative had already led to the release of about 1,000 abducted victims.
However, the latest attacks have reignited public outrage, with residents insisting that violence in Katsina continues largely unchecked, despite negotiations and concessions to armed groups.
