10 killed as rival bandit factions clash in Katsina

At least 10 people were killed on Monday evening when two rival bandit groups clashed at a naming ceremony in Gidan Mai Aure, near Sayaya village in Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State.

According to local sources, the confrontation broke out between a gang led by Saimaila of Salihawa village and another faction headed by Muhammadu from Maharba village.

Eyewitnesses said Muhammadu and his men invaded the ceremony, sparking a bloody fight that left Saimaila and nine of his loyalists dead.

The clash, believed to be fueled by disputes over territorial control and supremacy, highlights growing divisions among bandit groups operating in the North-West.

Such rivalries are often triggered by competition for extortion routes, ransom proceeds, and levies imposed on local communities.