At least 14 people have been killed and several others injured in two separate bandit attacks in Dandume and Musawa local government areas of Katsina State.
In the first attack, hoodlums armed with automatic weapons stormed the Dansoda community in Dandume LGA at about 8 pm on Tuesday, killing 11 residents.
A local who spoke on condition of anonymity said community members had just broken their Ramadan fast and were seated outside when the assailants opened fire.
“People ran helter-skelter as the bandits shot sporadically and also targeted some of the fleeing community members.
“After they left, we cautiously came out and discovered that 11 people had been killed during the mayhem,” the resident said.
The victims were buried according to Islamic rites at about 9 am on Wednesday, while the injured were taken to hospitals for treatment.
As of the time of filing the report, the state police command had not responded to inquiries about the Dandume incident.
In a related attack, Katsina State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abubakar Sadiq, confirmed that bandits attacked Jikamshi village in Musawa LGA at about 6:10 pm the same day, killing three people and injuring 11 others.
“On March 10th, 2026, at about 1805 hrs, a distress call was received at Musawa Division that suspected armed bandits attacked Jikamshi village, injuring 14 persons before the arrival of security agencies.
“A joint security team responded and engaged the bandits in a gun duel, successfully foiling the attack,” DSP Sadiq said.
He added, “The injured victims were rushed to the nearest hospital. Unfortunately, three were confirmed dead, while 11 are receiving treatment.
“The Commissioner of Police condemned the attack and directed further investigation to apprehend the perpetrators.”
Sources said the bandits operated for more than an hour, looting shops and carting away food items and other valuables worth millions of naira.
Residents had reportedly alerted security operatives and government officials before the attacks.
The attacks come shortly after a peace agreement between security-prone communities and repentant bandits, which included the release of about 70 suspected and convicted bandits, a move that drew criticism from several Nigerians.
The PUNCH