‘We Are Ignored’: Katsina Villagers Mourn Abduction of 50, Decry Gov’t Inaction
Over 50 villagers were abducted, and six were killed in a coordinated weekend attack on rural Kastina communities in northwestern Nigeria. The locals accuse government forces of abandoning them to terrorists.
Over 50 villagers, mostly women, children, and elderly people, have been abducted in a recent wave of terrorist attacks in Katsina State, northwestern Nigeria, prompting outrage from residents who say government security forces have once again failed to protect them.
The attacks, which took place from the night of Saturday, April 5, through to Sunday, April 6, affected rural communities in the Mai-Kwama and Layin Garaa areas of the Funtua and Dandume Local Government Areas. Residents told HumAngle that six farmers were killed for resisting abduction, while dozens of others were taken by armed men who arrived on motorbikes and laid siege to the villages for hours without interruption.
Despite repeated calls for help, residents say security forces failed to respond, leaving communities vulnerable to further violence.
“We are surprised that terrorists could invade our communities for two days, yet none of the security officers showed up to rescue us,” Bawa Gadi, a 67-year-old hunter from Mai-Kwama who narrowly escaped the attack, told HumAngle.
Bawa added that the outcome would have differed if troops had responded in time. “If the army had acted on our distress calls, no one would have been abducted. The teenage boys with guns could have been arrested or killed. But instead, they had their way and terrorised us without resistance,” he said.
HumAngle reached out to Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, spokesperson for the Katsina State Police Command, but he is yet to respond to our enquiry.
Eyewitnesses say the attacks began in Layin Garaa around 10:30 p.m. on Saturday. Ya’u Chibauna, an octogenarian hunter from the village, told HumAngle that the attackers came from nearby forest camps, abducted more than 30 residents, and then moved to Mai-Kwama, where the assault continued until midnight on Sunday.
During the attack, the gunmen reportedly warned villagers to vacate the communities or face further violence, especially if they continued seeking assistance from the government.
Community leaders say this is not an isolated incident but part of a larger trend of neglect by state security agencies.
The affected villages, Mai Kwama and Layin Garaa, share a border and are both largely inaccessible due to poor roads. They also lack any formal security presence, leaving residents to rely on under-resourced local vigilante groups, who say the terrain makes it nearly impossible to mount an effective defence during attacks.
The nearest police outpost is located in Dandume town, approximately 20 kilometres away. Another outpost is in Gardawa, along the federal highway leading to Dandume.
Mustapha Abdullahi, the Village Head of Mai-Kwama, confirmed the recent attack and criticised the government for its lack of action.
“We have been pleading with the authorities to deploy armed soldiers, but nobody listens to us,” he said. “We also reached out to our political representative, urging them to pressure the army and provide the necessary logistics to stop these terrorists from killing us, abducting us, and raping our wives and daughters. But we’ve been ignored.”
Similar reports of violence and displacement have emerged from Gardawa, which has faced continued threats in recent months.
With the security situation deteriorating and no intervention in sight, residents say they are bracing for more attacks and a future marked by fear and abandonment.
In recent terrorist attacks in Katsina State, Nigeria, over 50 villagers, mainly women, children, and the elderly, have been abducted, causing public outrage.
The assaults occurred from April 5th to 6th in Mai-Kwama and Layin Garaa areas, resulting in six farmers' deaths and many villagers' abductions while security forces failed to assist despite repeated pleas.
Community leaders highlighted the lack of official security presence in rural areas and criticized authorities for inaction despite previous pleas for military deployment. Residents rely on inadequately resourced vigilante groups due to inaccessible roads and distant police outposts, heightening vulnerability to future attacks.
With ongoing threats and no government intervention, residents anticipate further violence and live in fear of future attacks.
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