At least six people have been killed in a fresh bandit attack on Jargaba community in Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State, while three Catholic seminarians were abducted in Edo State following the murder of a Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) officer.
The Katsina incident occurred on Thursday night when heavily armed assailants stormed the agrarian community, opening fire on a group of residents. Among the victims was the Assistant Commander of the Katsina Community Watch Corps. Two children were also reported to have sustained gunshot injuries during the attack.
On Friday, the member representing Bakori Constituency at the Katsina State House of Assembly, Hon. Abdulrahman Ahmed-Kandarawa, said:
“I received calls yesterday (Thursday) from residents of Jargaba ward, which is among the 11 wards that we have in Bakori Local Government, that bandits attacked the community. The hoodlums moved straight to a gathering of six people and opened fire. All six were killed.”
In a separate incident in Edo State, gunmen believed to be bandits killed an NSCDC officer and abducted three seminarians from the Catholic Immaculate Conception Minor Seminary School in Ivianokpodi, Agenebode, Etsako East Local Government Area.
Authorities have yet to confirm if contact has been made with the kidnappers or if a ransom demand has been issued.
Meanwhile, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, has reiterated the need for intelligence-driven strategies to combat the rising threats posed by non-state actors and criminal networks.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony of the Nigerian Air Force School of Air Intelligence in Makurdi on Friday, Abubakar noted:
“The evolving nature of modern threats, especially from non-state actors, criminal networks, and internal saboteurs, requires intelligence-led operations and proactive responses to surmount.”
Both incidents have heightened security concerns and reignited calls for intensified efforts to secure rural communities and educational institutions in Nigeria.
