At least 17 villages in Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State have reportedly come under attack by armed bandits since Friday, with residents killed and others abducted.
The attacks have reportedly caused widespread fear among residents, while several families are said to have fled their communities over concerns for their safety.
According to a situational report issued by the Faskari Local Government chapter of the Nigerian Human Rights Protection and Initiative, the attackers also looted properties belonging to residents during the attacks.
The council coordinator, Shamsudeen Sulaiman, explained that several domestic animals and livestock were among items reportedly carted away by the bandits, worsening the economic losses suffered by affected households.
“17 villages have reportedly been attacked,” the organisation said, adding that the attacks had resulted in loss of lives and abductions.
The incidents have heightened security concerns across the affected communities, with residents reportedly worried about the safety of their families, homes and livelihoods.
The Nigerian Human Rights Protection and Initiative called for urgent and strengthened security measures to protect residents and prevent further attacks.
It also appealed to security authorities to intensify efforts to secure the release of those abducted by the attackers.
Similarly, in a phone conversation, a government official who is also a resident of Faskari confirmed the incident, describing it as a retaliatory attack on innocent communities following an incident in which soldiers from Zamfara State allegedly seized some Fulani people returning from a local Wednesday market in Yankara community.
According to the official, the soldiers allegedly identified some of the seized Fulani as individuals suspected of being involved in recent banditry attacks in Zamfara State. He said the soldiers subsequently traced them to the market and took them away.
He added that since the incident occurred on Wednesday last week, communities across Faskari Local Government Area had experienced renewed insecurity, including attacks, killings and kidnappings.
The official called on the government to urgently intervene, saying many residents are now in difficult circumstances and unable to access their farms.
He said the communities had recently embraced a peace deal that enabled residents to return to their farms and prepare for the harvest season, but the renewed attacks had disrupted their efforts and placed their lives and livelihoods at risk.
However, the Katsina State Police Command are yet to make official comment regarding the renewed attacks in Faskari LGA as at the time of filing this report.
