A wave of insecurity has once again struck Katsina State as bandits abducted a well-known Islamic cleric, Sheikh Mustapha Aliyu Unguwar Mai Kawo, along with several girls in separate attacks across the region.
The cleric was kidnapped on Saturday, April 12, 2025, in the Gidan Kaji area of Kankara Local Government Area, further raising alarm over rising violence in the state.
On the same day, the Sukuntuni community in Kankia LGA also came under attack. Armed men reportedly killed one person, stole a large number of cattle, and abducted several young girls during the raid.
Adding to the tension, a security analyst known as Bakatsine reported that on the following night, Sunday, April 13, gunmen stormed the Tamarke community in Bakori LGA under the cover of nightfall.
He noted that the armed assailants shot sporadically before taking away one resident.
In a statement shared on Monday, Bakatsine wrote: “Yesterday night, bandits invaded the Tamarke community in Bakori LGA, Katsina State and abducted one person. Just less than 24hrs after the abduction of Sheikh Mustapha Aliyu Unguwar Mai-Kawo in Ƙankara LGA.”
These back-to-back incidents have reignited concerns about the deteriorating security situation in northern Nigeria, particularly in rural communities across Katsina State.
