4 Civilian JTF Killed Repelling Bandit Attack on Katsina Community

No fewer than four operatives of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and one civilian were killed on Sunday evening when suspected bandits launched a deadly attack on the Guga community in the Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State.

Residents said the attackers, who arrived on several motorcycles and fired sporadically, stormed the community and headed straight for the position occupied by the CJTF personnel guarding the area.

The assailants were, however, met with fierce resistance from members of the CJTF and local vigilantes, who engaged them in a gun battle in an attempt to prevent them from carrying out their mission.

According to residents, the attackers were believed to have intended to rustle livestock from the community. Still, the determined resistance mounted by the local security volunteers forced them to retreat without achieving the operation’s objective.

A resident of the community, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said the slain CJTF members fought courageously to protect the community despite being heavily outnumbered.

The bandits came in large numbers, shooting indiscriminately. They went directly to the CJTF position, but our vigilantes and the CJTF resisted them. Unfortunately, we lost four of the hunters and one civilian. Their sacrifice prevented the bandits from taking away our animals,” the resident said.

He described the incident as another painful reminder of the persistent insecurity confronting communities in northern Bakori.

“Our people have continued to live in fear. Guga has repeatedly suffered attacks, killings, kidnappings and cattle rustling. We appreciate the courage shown by the CJTF because without them, the casualties and destruction would have been far worse,” he added.

Guga and several neighbouring communities in northern Bakori have experienced repeated attacks by armed bandits in recent years, resulting in loss of lives, abductions for ransom and large-scale livestock theft.

As of the time of filing this report, neither the Katsina State Government nor security agencies had issued an official statement on the latest attack.

When contacted, the spokesperson of the Katsina State Police Command, DSP Sadiq Aliyu, said he would verify the incident and respond. However, he had not yet provided feedback as of the time of filing this report.