Bandits terrorize Kano border communities despite military deployment

Bandit attacks have intensified across Kano State’s frontline local government areas bordering Katsina, with residents reporting multiple kidnappings and killings despite the presence of security forces.

The affected areas — Shanono, Bagwai, and Tsanyawa — have witnessed a surge in violence in recent days, leaving communities in fear and disarray.

Speaking during a security meeting with community leaders on Saturday, Chairman of the Faruruwa Security Committee in Shanono Local Government, Alhaji Yahya Bagobiri, revealed that the three councils had suffered several attacks within just one week.

“The situation has become increasingly critical following the redeployment of some security personnel. Several people have been abducted. Just yesterday, a man was killed in front of his family, and his children were kidnapped,” Bagobiri said.

He lamented that many residents had fled their homes, while others living outside the affected communities were too scared to return.

“We appreciate the presence of military, police, and civil defence personnel, but there is a need for better strategy. The bandits are adopting strange tactics to infiltrate our communities,” he added.

Bagobiri appealed to President Bola Tinubu and Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to take urgent action to prevent further bloodshed, warning that continued inaction could worsen the crisis.

Also speaking, the District Head of Faruruwa in Shanono Local Government, Mustapha Abubakar, confirmed multiple attacks and abductions in his district over the past three days.

He disclosed that three people were killed in Yancibi and Kadami villages during a broad daylight assault.

Abubakar attributed the growing insecurity to the alleged “peace accord” between bandits and some communities in neighbouring Katsina State, which he said had allowed criminal elements to shift their operations into Kano.

He called on the military to take full control of the “ungoverned spaces” within the affected councils to restore safety and stability in the area.