Dare Babalola
There was tension in the Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State on Tuesday night as two elderly community leaders were killed in an attack on Doguwar Ɗorawa.
This recent incident marks another violent attack on rural Bakori communities, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the state government’s “peace accord” with bandit groups.
The incident was confirmed by a prominent community leader in Guga, Mahadi Danbinta Guga, who spoke to Premium Times on Wednesday.
“We had a gruesome attack yesterday. Doguwar Ɗorawa lost two of their most influential elders — Alhaji Bishir and his brother, Alhaji Surajo. They were slaughtered, not shot, during the attack,” he said.
He reported that the attackers invaded the community around 10 p.m. and operated for over an hour. He stated that he was heading to the village to attend the burial of the slain elders and to assess the damage.
“Many people were abducted during the attack,” he added.
Residents suspect the attackers are linked to either Idi Abasu Aiki or Kwashen Garuwa, notorious bandit leaders known for terrorizing Bakori and surrounding areas.
“They parked their motorcycles in the bush and trekked to the village to unleash mayhem on the locals,” Guga explained, describing the attack as “gruesome.”
He lamented that such raids have become routine despite the state’s ongoing dialogue with armed groups.
“It’s a normal thing to the bandits in the area. A day hardly passes without communities being attacked despite the so-called peace deal,” he said.
In a separate incident on the same night, bandits also raided Layin ‘Yannehu, another community in the area, rustling several livestock.
The fresh attacks follow similar assaults reported in Ganjar, Alhazawa, and Gidan Nagari in late October, where at least 43 residents were abducted, forcing hundreds to flee their homes.
As of Wednesday morning, officials of the Katsina State Government and the Bakori Local Government had yet to comment on the incident.
