At least eight people, mostly women, have been kidnapped by bandits in Biresawa village, Tsanyawa Local Government Area of Kano State, officials and locals said on Monday night.
A Daily Trust report stated the attackers struck between 11pm and midnight.
According to an anonymous source, “they came as usual, and from our findings so far, two males and six females were taken away by the bandits. Up till now, there is no news on their whereabouts,” said.
Kabiru Usman, whose wife and daughter were among the victims, said the bandits entered from neighbouring Tsundu village. “They came on foot, armed with guns. They kidnapped my wife, Umma; my 17-year-old daughter, Fati; my brother’s wife, and two other women. We tried to stop them, but our weapons were no match for them,” he said.
Usman added that residents had alerted the police and military after receiving prior warnings about the bandits’ movement. “Before the attack occurred, we got a report that they were heading towards us, and we notified the security agencies, including the police and military, ahead of time,” he said.
Another source said bandits also attacked Sarmawa, Yan Chibi, and Gano villages in the same local government area. “About 50 bandits riding motorcycles came into our community Yan Chibi shooting in the air. We all ran for safety and later discovered that they have abducted some people, mostly women. As I speak with you, no life is reported lost, but I can confirm they have abducted over 10 people,” the source said.
A local vigilante member said the bandits moved toward Katsina State, preventing the pursuers from catching them. He added that many families in the area now avoid sleeping at home at night, and some villages have been deserted. Many residents have taken refuge in Faruruwa town or relocated to urban centres for safety.
Kano State Police Command has yet to release any report on the kidnapping as of the time of filing this report.
This is not the first attack in the area. Weeks ago, bandits abducted five women, including nursing mothers, from Yan Kwada village in Faruruwa community, Shanono Local Government Area. The incident followed a joint military operation that killed 19 bandits in the region.
