In a harrowing incident in Katsina State, terrorists, locally referred to as Bandits launched a brazen attack, abducting approximately 55 wedding guests who were escorting a bride home in Damari town, Sabuwa Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The attack occurred around 9 pm on Thursday, resulting in the tragic loss of three local security volunteers during the hastily coordinated rescue effort.
According to local residents, the victims, mostly friends of the bride, were travelling in a crowded open van known as a canter vehicle when the criminals struck. Initially numbering over 70, some managed to escape by leaping from the moving vehicle as it was hijacked by the terrorists.
Sabuwa Local Government Area has been grappling with the persistent presence of bandits and their collaborators, often acting as informants. Alhaji Basiru Musa, Chairman of Dandume Local Government Area, confirmed the incident. While unconfirmed reports suggest that a few kidnapped women may have escaped, the chairman pledged to verify and provide updates.
The chairman clarified that though the women were from Dandume, the bandits intercepted them on their way from Sabuwa Local Government Area around 9 pm. Both Sabuwa and Dandume have been heavily plagued by banditry in Katsina State.
In a related incident during the same timeframe, gunmen believed to be from the Siddi forest infiltrated Tashar Nadaya, near the Gazari district border in Sabuwa LG. The criminals killed a commercial motorcycle rider and seized his bike, while also opening fire on a group of four individuals and confiscating their motorcycles. The security situation in the region remains tense, with authorities actively addressing the escalating threats.
