At least 25 people were abducted and two others were injured on Sunday night after armed bandits launched coordinated attacks on two communities in Shanono Local Government Area of Kano State. The attacks occurred in Unguwar Tsamiya within Faruruwa village and the nearby Dabawa community, creating panic among residents and raising concerns about rising insecurity in areas close to the Katsina border.
The latest assault happened less than 24 hours after another village, Yan Kamaye in Tsanyawa Local Government Area, also came under attack by bandits. Both Shanono and Tsanyawa LGAs share boundaries with parts of Katsina State, a region that has been heavily affected by banditry for several years.
A resident who witnessed the Sunday night raids described the incident as terrifying, saying the attackers stormed the communities in large numbers, shooting into the air and breaking into homes. According to him, many villagers fled into surrounding bushes while others were captured.
“Yesterday night, bandits attacked Unguwar Tsamiya in Faruruwa village and the Dabawa community. Two people were injured, and at least 25 residents were abducted,” he said. “This happened less than 24 hours after a similar attack on Yan Kamaye in Tsanyawa LGA, another community near the Katsina border.”
The affected communities remain in shock as families struggle to determine who has been taken and the condition of those who were injured. Many residents said the attacks have become more frequent in recent months and fear that the insecurity may worsen if government authorities do not take urgent action.
Shanono LGA, which is mostly a farming area, has been relatively peaceful compared to other parts of the Northwest. However, attacks have increased this year, particularly in communities located close to forested areas that link Kano to Katsina and Zamfara—states that have been major hotspots for banditry.
Residents say the attackers often move between state borders to evade security forces. This has made it difficult for local vigilante groups and community security networks to defend their villages.
A community elder in Faruruwa said people no longer sleep peacefully. “We are living in fear. We don’t know when the bandits will strike again,” he said. “Our farmers cannot go to their farmlands safely, and now they are entering our homes at night. We are pleading with the government to come to our aid.”
The Sunday night raids follow a troubling pattern of attacks in Kano, a state that was once considered one of the safer areas in northern Nigeria. In the last two years, attacks have spread from neighboring states into border communities of Kano, especially those closest to Katsina, where banditry has caused widespread displacement.
The attack on Yan Kamaye in Tsanyawa just a day earlier is believed to have been carried out by the same or related groups of bandits. Residents said several people were kidnapped and that the attackers moved on motorcycles, which is a common tactic among bandit groups operating across the Northwest.
As of Monday, neither the Kano State Police Command nor the state government had issued an official statement regarding the most recent attacks. This silence has further worried residents, who fear that the lack of a prompt response may embolden the attackers.
Efforts to get comments from local government officials were unsuccessful, as many said they were still gathering information about the incident. Security agencies are expected to begin investigations, though residents say they need immediate deployment of more security personnel.
A security volunteer in Shanono said the vigilante group in the area is overstretched and poorly equipped. “We cannot face these bandits alone. They come with many guns, and they are not afraid. We need more police and soldiers in these communities,” he said.
Meanwhile, families of the abducted victims remain anxiously waiting for any communication from the kidnappers. In previous incidents, bandits contacted relatives hours or days after attacks to demand ransoms.
Some villagers said they fear the abducted residents may be taken into forests along the Kano-Katsina border, where many kidnapped victims are usually held.
A woman whose husband and teenage son were taken said she has been crying since the attack. “I don’t know where they are. I don’t know if they are safe. We just want them back alive,” she said.
Human rights groups and local civil society organisations have called on the government to strengthen security in rural communities and boost patrols along border areas between Kano and Katsina. They say these attacks show that insecurity in the Northwest continues to spread and must be addressed with urgency.
For now, residents in Unguwar Tsamiya, Dabawa, and nearby communities can only hope that authorities take swift action. As one resident put it, “We are Nigerians. We deserve to live in peace. We cannot continue living like this.”
