Terrorists, suspected to be bandits disguised in women’s Abaya dresses, abducted 26 individuals in Katsina State, Northwest Nigeria after attacking Runka community over the weekend.
The victims, mostly women and children, were taken during the raid, which occurred late Saturday evening, with the assailants shooting indiscriminately.
“In my house alone, they abducted 10 females and two males. In total, they abducted 26 people from the community,” a local resident recounted.
The resident attributed the attack to informants collaborating with the criminals, accusing them of undermining government efforts against terrorism.
He claimed one of the terrorists even greeted an informant, saying, ‘Today we’ve come to your hometown’, although the informant’s identity remains unknown.
Confirming the incident, Abdullahi Sani Safana, Chairman of Safana Local Government Area, stated that 22 locals were initially abducted, with some managing to escape.
He noted the terrorists’ use of Abaya attire, traditionally worn by women in the region, as a disguise.
Safana reported that the local Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and soldiers deployed in the area had launched a rescue operation.
Abduljalal Haruna Runka, Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, expressed frustration over the lack of prior intelligence regarding the terrorists’ movements before the attack.
He emphasized the need to reassess their security strategies to prevent future incidents.
“They just appeared in the middle of the night. We are going back to the drawing board to analyze the situation and determine why we couldn’t gather the necessary information,” Runka stated.
This is one of the many attacks being carried out by bandits in Northern Nigeria. Three days ago, the terrorists released a video showing the women and children abducted from Maidabino town in Katsina State’s Danmusa local government area.
The attack on Maidabino occurred on June 22, during which approximately nine people were killed and 50 others abducted, predominantly women and children.
During the raid, more than 10 houses, 15 shops, and at least nine vehicles were reportedly set ablaze by the marauding terrorists, who were active from 10 p.m. Saturday until about 2:30 a.m. Sunday.
Days following the tragic incident, the bandits released a video lasting 5 minutes and 41 seconds, in which they displayed the kidnapped individuals and appealed for government intervention.
In the video, the bandits alleged that members of the state-owned security outfit, the Community Watch Corps, were responsible for killing their wives and children, which they cited as justification for their reprisal on Maidabino. They also issued a threat against Danmusa town, vowing an attack within the week.
According to reports from Daily Trust, one of the terrorists in the video, dressed in army uniform and armed with a machine gun, asserted that neither the state governor nor anyone else could rescue the captives without engaging in dialogue.
“You see what your vigilante (Community Watch Corps) have caused you, and they cannot come and rescue you, not even Governor Radda could rescue you here, unless through reconciliation,” the terrorist stated in the video.
The situation has led some residents of Danmusa to flee to Yartsamiya town, which has reportedly already fallen under terrorist control.
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