At least 21 members of a government militia in Nigeria’s northwest Katsina state were killed in a brutal ambush by criminal gangs, local police reported late Friday. The attack occurred on Tuesday in Baure, a village within the Safana district, as a convoy of government militiamen was returning from a condolence visit to the family of a fallen colleague.
Katsina police spokesman Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu confirmed that the convoy came under fire from bandits, resulting in the tragic deaths of 21 militiamen. He added that authorities were working to identify and capture those responsible for the attack.
This violent ambush is another grim chapter in the ongoing struggle faced by Katsina and surrounding states in Nigeria’s northwest. These areas have long been plagued by criminal gangs, often referred to as “bandits,” who engage in violent raids on villages. The gangs are notorious for killing, abducting residents, and looting and burning homes, while their strongholds are often located within the dense forests that stretch across Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, and Niger states.
In recent years, the bandits have escalated their operations, with mass kidnappings of students from schools becoming a frequent occurrence. In response to the increasing threat, Katsina state governor Dikko Umar Radda established the Katsina Community Watch Corps (KCWC) in 2023, a group comprising approximately 2,000 vigilantes tasked with assisting the military and police in combating the criminal gangs.
Despite these efforts, the bandits remain a formidable threat to local communities, with the government and law enforcement agencies struggling to curb their violent activities. The recent ambush highlights the persistent danger posed by these criminal groups and the urgent need for more effective measures to ensure the safety and security of the region’s residents.
As investigations continue, authorities remain committed to bringing the perpetrators of this deadly attack to justice.
