Over 40 Bandits Killed as Security Forces Repel Attack on Katsina Community
BBy Victor Idajil
More than 40 suspected bandits, including 8 senior commanders, were killed on Sunday after security forces repelled a large-scale attack on Guga Village in Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The joint operation involved local hunters, the Katsina State Community Watch Corps, and troops of the Nigerian Army’s 17 Brigade.
Security sources said over 200 heavily armed bandits stormed Guga at about 5:40pm on July 26.
The assault was led by notorious bandit kingpin Idi Abasu Aiki and reinforced by fighters linked to the Ado Aleru network operating from Zamfara State.
Intelligence reports indicated the gunmen planned to overrun local hunters and KSCWC operatives guarding the area, before pushing on to Bakori town and other nearby communities.
Acting on prior intelligence, security teams mounted a coordinated response. A fierce gun battle followed, and the attackers were forced to retreat after suffering heavy losses.
Follow-up reports confirmed 40 bandits were neutralised, among them eight senior commanders.
One of those killed was Iliya Mai Rasha, a commander linked to several deadly attacks in Tsafe LGA, Zamfara. Sources said he joined the assault at Aiki’s invitation.
Aiki himself was reportedly hit and sustained life-threatening gunshot wounds, though his condition could not be confirmed at press time.
Five members of the hunters’ team were killed during the operation after they were caught outside the frontline while attending to personal errands.
The Katsina State Government described the slain hunters as “courageous patriots” and condoled with their families.
This is the second major hit on the same network this month. On July 7, local security volunteers also inflicted heavy losses on the group during a clash in Dawan Laila Village.
Clearance operations are now ongoing in Guga to recover weapons abandoned by fleeing bandits. Authorities say surveillance has been intensified and normalcy has returned to Guga and surrounding communities.
In a related development, troops of the 17 Brigade Quick Reaction Force and the Civilian Joint Task Force intercepted suspected terrorists moving 126 rustled livestock through Yankwani Village in Bakori LGA at about 6am on July 26.
The animals 83 cows and 43 sheep were abandoned when the suspects fled on sighting troops. They have been handed to the Chairman of the Bakori Peace Keeping Committee, Alhaji Tijjani Mohammed, for identification and return to owners. No casualties were recorded.
Also on Sunday night, at about 11:22pm, troops at FOB Radda responded to a distress call and rescued a kidnapped woman in Karkata Village, Charanchi LGA. The team engaged the abductors before reaching the village, forcing them to abandon the victim and flee. The woman was reunited with her family. No security personnel died in the encounter.
The state government reaffirmed its commitment to sustained joint security operations across Katsina to curb banditry.
