Katsina State was once again plunged into mourning on Sunday, July 13, 2025, as armed bandits launched back-to-back attacks on Kanikawa in Kurfi LGA and Gidan Gado in Funtua LGA, killing at least seven people, including a pregnant woman. According to field reports from residents and security tracker Bakatsine, the attacks also resulted in the abduction of multiple villagers, deepening the region’s persistent security crisis.
Four people were killed in broad daylight in Kanikawa during the first wave of violence. The attackers stormed the community around 3 p.m., opening fire on unsuspecting residents. Among the victims was a heavily pregnant woman who reportedly died instantly after being shot in the chest. Survivors described the scene as a “massacre,” with homes set ablaze and children fleeing into nearby bushes.
Later that same night, another set of gunmen struck Gidan Gado village under the cover of darkness, killing three more villagers and abducting several others. Eye-witnesses said the attackers moved house to house, rounding up captives and looting food supplies. Many locals are now fleeing both communities amid fears of a return raid.
Security analyst Bakatsine posted on X (formerly Twitter) early Monday, confirming the toll and urging authorities to respond swiftly. “Yesterday afternoon, bandits attacked Kanikawa community in Kurfi LGA, Katsina State, killing four people, including a pregnant woman. Later at night, they stormed Gidan Gado village in Funtua LGA, killed three more and abducted several residents,” his post read.
As of 9 a.m. Monday, there was still no official statement from Katsina State authorities or federal security agencies. Repeated calls to the Katsina State Police Command went unanswered, raising further concerns about coordination and response time in the wake of repeated rural assaults across the state.
These latest attacks come just two weeks after similar killings in Batsari and Safana LGAs, where 11 residents were reportedly killed and several women kidnapped. Civil society groups and opposition lawmakers have renewed calls for the federal government to deploy special forces and drone surveillance to the region to stop what they describe as a “rural genocide.”
Local vigilantes are currently combing nearby forests in a desperate bid to locate the abductees, while humanitarian volunteers are assisting with the burial of victims and evacuation of survivors. With over 500 people displaced in the last 30 days in Katsina alone, pressure is mounting on the Tinubu administration to act decisively before entire communities are wiped out.
