Bandits block road, abduct 13 travellers

Armed bandits unleashed terror along the Ni’asu-Dantankari road in Katsina State on Thursday night, abducting 13 travellers after ambushing vehicles and opening fire indiscriminately.

The incident, confirmed by banditry crisis analyst Bakatsine via his verified X handle on Friday, has heightened concerns over the escalating security crisis in the region.

“Alert: Last night, bandits blocked the Ni’asu-Dantankari road, opened fire on vehicles, and abducted 13 people,” Bakatsine posted. “However, a joint team of the Nigerian Army, Civilian Joint Task Force (CWC), and local vigilante groups pursued the attackers, engaging them in a fierce gun battle and successfully rescuing 10 of the victims.”

The remaining three abductees are still unaccounted for, as efforts continue to locate and secure their release.

Bakatsine also raised concerns that the recent peace deal brokered between bandits and the Kaduna State government might be fueling increased attacks in neighbouring Katsina State.

“Sincerely speaking, the peace deal in Kaduna State has led to an increase in attacks in Katsina South Senatorial District, which shares a border with Kaduna State,” he noted.

As of the time of filing this report, security agencies have yet to issue an official statement regarding the attack.

Katsina State has seen a worrying surge in bandit-related violence in recent weeks. On the same day as the highway attack, the former Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig. Gen. Maharazu Tsiga (retd.), was abducted in an attack in his hometown of Tsiga village, Bakori Local Government Area.