From Tijjani Ibrahim, Katsina, Hamisu Matazu & Salim Umar Ibrahim
Suspected gunmen in the early hours of Tuesday launched an attack on Filin Canada Quarters, in Sabuwar Unguwa area of Katsina metropolis, where they kidnapped three members of a family and in the process shot dead a local vigilante.
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The incident occurred at about 3:00 am when the assailants stormed the residence of 33-year-old Anas Ahmadu, abducting him, his seven-month pregnant wife, Halimat, and their daughter, Jidda Anas. A report by Katsina Post, said Halimat is the daughter of a prominent business man in Katsina State.
Daily Trust gathered that though there have been attacks across Katsina State, this is the first time in about two years that such is being recorded in the capital city.
During the attack, a vigilante member identified as Abdullahi Muhammad, 25, was shot dead while attempting to render help to the victims against the attackers. The criminals fled the scene before the arrival of security operatives, Daily Trust gathered.
A family source told Daily Trust that the bandits in large numbers stormed the couple’s residence around 3:am and abducted them.
“About seven gunmen scaled the fence of the house and banged on their entrance door, asking them to open it.
“Before they broke in, the wife placed a distress call to a vigilante member who responded. Unfortunately, other bandits hiding in the dark opened fire and killed him.
“She locked herself in the toilet when she realised they were about to break into the house, while the husband tried to escape through the back door, but he was unable to.
“They broke in, bundled the husband, forced the toilet door open and abducted them, including their two year-old daughter,” he said.
Another source close to the family told our correspondent that the wife is the daughter of Alhaji Usman Turare, an independent petroleum marketer who owns many filling stations in the state.
“Her husband is a young businessman but I don’t think he was their target, because the father of the wife is rich,” he said.
One of the neighbors said they heard the gunmen speaking in low voices and that there was someone among them who was providing directions.
Daily Trust also gathered that the gunmen reached out to the uncle of the wife around 9:00pm yesterday.
“But, I don’t know whether they demanded for ransom or not,” the source said.
Police spokesman in the state, DSP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, confirmed the incident in a statement, noting that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in the area swiftly responded to the distress call and restored calm to the neighbourhood.
The attack comes amid growing concerns over recurring cases of abduction and violence in Katsina, despite assurances of heightened security operations across the state.
The incident, which occurred in the early hours of the day left residents in fear.
Witnesses said the gunmen, armed with sophisticated weapons, stormed Anas’ residence, located behind Gidan Rodi Steel Rolling Company, and whisked him and his family members away.
They described the scene as chaotic and urged authorities to intensify security measures in the area.
Some residents disclosed that they had earlier noticed two suspicious individuals lurking around the area before the attack.
They also expressed concern over the rising wave of banditry in Katsina State and called on government at all levels to take decisive steps to curb the menace.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abubakar Sadiq, said the attack was carried out by suspected gunmen. He added that the assailants shot Abdullahi Muhammad, a vigilante member, before fleeing the scene.
Sadiq noted that police operatives, led by the Divisional Police Officer, swiftly moved to the area, restored calm, and launched an investigation to track and arrest the perpetrators.
According to him, the Commissioner of Police, CP Bello Shehu, alongside the command’s management team, Area Commander Metro, DPOs within the metropolis, and the OC Anti-Kidnapping Unit, visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment.
He said additional personnel and assets had been deployed to ensure the rescue of the victims and arrest of the attackers.
“The command calls on members of the public to report suspicious activities to the nearest police station or make use of the command’s emergency lines for prompt and decisive action. All information will be treated with utmost confidentiality,” Sadiq added.
Daily Trust reports that isolated criminal attacks on the outskirts of Katsina, such as Dandagoro, Babbar Ruga and Shagari low cost, Dutsen Tsafe, occur from time to time.
It was gathered that the attackers often used routes leading to epicentres of banditry in the state, such as Batsari road, Natsinta and Bugaje along Jibia axis as well as parts of Batagarawa Local Government Area.
However, the latest attack at Filin Canada, came at a time when the nearby local government areas of Jibia and Batsari, with the exception of Batagarawa, are into peace deal with bandits.
Some of the residents expressed concerns over the fact that the attack occurred deep into the metropolis.
A resident, Adamu Sani, said, “Even in those LGAs ravaged by banditry, informants play a big role. This type of attack might not have come from the forest, but a criminal gang that came under the guise of banditry. It is only thorough investigation by the relevant authorities that the truth can be uncovered”.
The victims
The husband, Anas Ahmad, hails from Kofar Kaura area of Katsina metropolis. Sources said he is a businessman dealing in pvc pipes and other plumbing fittings.
“He is a young man, doing well in his business here in Kofar Kaura,” a source told our reporter.
The area where he resides, Filin Canada, is said to be a relatively new settlement demarcated about 20 years ago by the administration of the then Governor Umaru Musa Yar’adua as compensation to house owners affected by dualisation of roads within the metropolis.
Though the area has been fully developed, it shares boundary with undeveloped lands, like the one behind the Steel Rolling Company, thus making the area vulnerable as the road along the steel rolling company is linked to the bypass which leads to Jibia, Batsari and Dutsinma roads, all of which are volatile.
Resurgence of attacks
There have been attacks across Katsina State, with local governments recording incidents almost on a daily basis. Several communities in the state are now deserted with many fleeing to relatively safer areas. Most recently, there was an attack in Malumfashi Local Government Area of the state in which over 50 people were killed and many others abducted.
Only last Monday, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, was in Katsina State for what he called, “assessment visit”, following the recent banditry attacks in some parts of the state and he promised to flush out the bandits. He commended the government for supporting the troops to carry out their duties.
He also condoled with the government and people of the state over the loss of lives in Malumfashi recently when the bandits attacked worshippers during morning prayer.
“We are here to synergise and collectively face the challenge of insurgency and banditry and see how we can bring it to an end.
“We seek more support from the state government and people of the state in the areas of intelligence gathering.
“The fact is that we are just fighting our own people, the enemies are within. That is the truth and it is important to fish out the enemies of the state.
“Like I always say wherever I go, security is a collective responsibility. So, it is everybody’s business. Together, we can make Nigeria work better, and make it safe,” he said.
Earlier in his welcome remarks, the Katsina acting governor, Malam Faruk Lawal, called for deployment of more ground troops and air operations to strengthen ongoing operations against banditry in the state.
“We have had discussions with the COAS privately, and I have pointed out areas where we need their intervention as quickly as possible.
“We need more ground troops and air operations from the army and the Nigerian Air Force, particularly in the trouble areas to curb banditry and kidnapping”, he said.
No one is safe in Katsina – Expert
A senior security consultant, Detective Auwal Bala Durumin Iya, has raised alarm over the infiltration of criminals into Katsina’s urban centres, warning that residents, government officials, and security agencies are now vulnerable to attacks.
Durumin Iya, who also serves as a Quality Assurance Assessor of Homeland Security in Kano State, said the recent attack by gunmen in a metropolitan area of Katsina, was an indication that the crisis had moved beyond rural communities into city centres.
“This means that anything can happen. The villages have already been attacked, and when people migrate into the cities to seek safety, the bandits follow them. Now they have access to the city, even the governor and prominent residents are at risk,” he said.
He warned that security formations, including police stations, are no longer immune from attacks. He attributed the worsening situation to lapses in security architecture, which he claimed had been weakened by political interference.
“The insecurity in Katsina is worse than what people think. Recently, bandits attacked worshippers inside a mosque, yet nothing concrete was done by either the government or security agencies,” he said.
According to him, many residents are now migrating out of Katsina to neighbouring states due to the heightened sense of vulnerability.
Durumin Iya stressed that addressing the crisis requires more than government intervention, arguing that security should be a shared responsibility between authorities and the public.
“Government can only provide about 30 per cent of security, while 70 per cent must come from members of the public. People need to be trained in basic security knowledge and skills. Communities must contribute their quota in protecting lives and property,” he said.
He further called for the mobilisation of youths and the adoption of community-based defence strategies within the law to complement formal security efforts.
“When you rely only on government, you are in trouble. Communities must organise themselves, strategise and protect their neighbourhoods,” he advised.