At least 30 people have been killed in a series of attacks on members of the Katsina State Community Watch Corps and local residents, as details of the tragedy emerged on Wednesday.
Eyewitnesses revealed to the BBC that the victims hailed from the Charanci, Safana, Kurfi, and Kaita local government areas of Katsina State. According to reports from Daily Trust, the death toll may exceed 30.
The victims were ambushed by suspected bandits in Baure, a village notorious for armed bandit activity, while returning from a condolence visit in Batsari.
In the Safana Local Government Area, residents of Barebari reported that 15 people were killed on the spot during the attack. Many have described the situation as dire, with survivors calling for enhanced security measures in the region.
“Baure is notorious as a bandits’ stronghold, and this happened on market day. The assailants followed the villagers back home, killing at least 15, based on the bodies we have seen. Some bodies were burned, and others are still missing. Initially, no one was allowed to recover the bodies, but they eventually relented,” a local resident shared.
Another resident added,
“We managed to save over 20 people, including those from Charanci, Burji, Jibiya, and Kaita. At least 25 are confirmed dead, and many are still unaccounted for.”
One of the victims’ relatives, whose nephew was among the deceased, stated that vigilantes were also targeted.
“Unaware of the presence of the bandits, the vigilantes were ambushed as they entered the village. Upon spotting them, the bandits took cover in nearby homes and opened fire, killing more than 30 people. It was only today (Thursday) that we managed to retrieve my nephew’s body for burial because the bandits prevented us from doing so for two days,” the relative explained.
The victims were members of various local vigilante groups who had attended a condolence visit to Madaddafai village following the death of a fellow vigilante member. While the leaders returned home afterward, the rest of the group proceeded to Baure, where the ambush occurred.
Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, spokesperson for the Katsina State Police Command, confirmed the attack but stated,
“We are still gathering information and will release a detailed update soon.”
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