A local government official was killed and a former council vice chairman abducted on Thursday evening when armed men invaded communities in Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The slain official, identified as Aminu “Over-Over,” was reportedly shot while working on his farm.
In the same coordinated assault, the assailants kidnapped Nasiru Dayi, a former councillor and vice chairman of Malumfashi LGA, from his residence in Dayi town between 7 and 8 p.m.
Residents described the operation as a terrifying ordeal that lasted for hours.
According to local accounts, the armed group began their rampage around 4 p.m., moving first into the settlements of Gidan Boro and Tuge. By 8 p.m., shortly after the evening Maghrib prayers, they stormed Dayi town.
A shopkeeper, Baba Danladi, shared his experience from that night. “Not even 10 minutes after I got back, I started hearing different kinds of gunshots,” he said. “I knew the ‘oga boss’ were in town. Last night was terrible,” he added.
Locals said attacks by the armed gangs, commonly referred to as bandits, have become a near-daily reality. Their increasing boldness, particularly their daylight operations, has earned them the nickname “Solar” among residents.
“Even now as we speak, they are hovering around in nearby villages,” a community elder disclosed anonymously due to fear of reprisals. “Hardly any two days pass by in the last two weeks without an attack. They now work in the daytime, unafraid.” He noted that the recent surge in attacks was partly due to tall crop growth on farmlands, which the gunmen use as cover.
Insecurity has left residents across the area living in fear. “In this area (referring to Malumfashi LGA axis), there is hardly any time we can say we are free,” said Mustapha Ahmed, another resident. “Even if they don’t attack us in Dayi, they attack neighbouring communities. The worst part is when they attack freely during the day.”
Mr. Ahmed also recounted an incident two days prior in Ungwar Bugaw, Dayi District, on the road to Tuge, where gunmen, angered by the absence of livestock, shot the elderly village head (Mai Ungwar) in the hand. One of the attackers was quoted as saying: “We won’t leave this village without putting a mark to signify our presence here.”
The repeated assaults have led to a gradual exodus of influential residents from Dayi, with many only returning periodically to monitor family and business matters.
These developments challenge recent security claims by the state government. According to the “Katsina Security Tracker” released by the Ministry of Internal Security, Malumfashi was listed under the “Improved” category—defined as having only “minimal insecurity in remote pockets” with “significant progress observed.” The report also claimed that more than 87 per cent of local government areas in the state are either stabilised or improving.
However, the Thursday attack and testimonies from affected residents suggest otherwise. The ongoing violence reveals a stark contrast between the government’s security narrative and the on-the-ground experiences of communities still under siege.
Efforts to reach Katsina police spokesperson Sadiq Abubakar for comments were unsuccessful, as messages sent via text and WhatsApp remained unanswered.
