Katsina Communities Report Renewed Bandit Violence Despite Peace Agreements

Residents of Southern Maska in Katsina State’s Funtua Local Government Area are reporting a surge in attacks by armed bandits, raising concerns over the collapse of previously negotiated peace deals.

Local sources state that despite agreements brokered between community stakeholders and bandit groups, villages across the area continue to face killings, kidnappings, and the imposition of forced levies. Dozens of settlements, including Unguwar Mailaya, Gobirawa, and Yambu, are affected, with some residents beginning to flee their homes.

In a recent incident, an attempted invasion of Unguwar Mailaya was reportedly repelled by villagers. The assailants then moved to Kauran Fawa in neighboring Dandume LGA, where eight people were killed.

A particularly alarming trend cited by locals is the brazenness of the attackers, who now directly phone residents to issue threats and demand payments, referred to locally as haraji (levies). Community members link this audacity to a perceived lack of adequate security deployment in the area.

“The bandits call people on the phone, threatening them and demanding money. We don’t see enough security personnel here, and that is why they are bold,” one resident stated.

The situation has prompted urgent calls for the Katsina State government and security agencies to intervene with a stronger protective presence. The renewed violence is also casting doubt on the effectiveness and sustainability of the local peace agreements, with residents questioning why the pacts have failed to end the terror.