3 Arrested Over Fresh Attack By Suspected Political Thugs In Katsina

The Katsina State Police Command has arrested three suspects in connection with an attack in Yankara town, Faskari Local Government Area, during which suspected hoodlums set vehicles ablaze and injured several people.

The incident occurred on Saturday, 31 October 2026, amid tension in the community as supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) travelled to attend Governor Dikko Umaru Radda’s Tinubu-Dikko 2027 campaign rally in Faskari.

Eyewitness accounts indicated that trouble started following a disagreement between participants in a Maulud procession and security personnel over the designated route for the religious procession.

The situation reportedly escalated into violence, with suspected hoodlums attacking vehicles along the road, setting two vehicles ablaze, including one belonging to the Musa Adamu Network (MAN), and damaging some shops. Several people were also reportedly injured.

Chairman of the MAN Caucus, Alhaji Nura Sule Yandaki, who was leading a delegation of 12 members to the campaign rally, said they were caught up in the incident but escaped unharmed, although their vehicle was destroyed.

A local government official, who confirmed the incident, said security personnel later intervened and restored normalcy in the area.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, said Governor Radda’s movement through Yankara was initially peaceful, with adequate security arrangements in place.

He explained that the police subsequently received information that suspected political thugs had blocked the road, pelted objects and set political posters ablaze.

According to him, the attackers also set fire to a Sharon vehicle belonging to a political supporter, which had been parked by the roadside after developing a mechanical fault while its driver proceeded to the campaign venue.

The police spokesman said the Divisional Police Officer in Faskari, working with other security agencies, promptly mobilised to the scene, dispersed the crowd and restored normalcy.

He identified the arrested suspects as Garba Shu’aibu, 25; Salmanu Ibrahim, 18; and Nazifi Hussaini, 30.

Aliyu said the suspects were allegedly linked to the attack, adding that investigations were ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and apprehend other fleeing suspects.

Reacting to the incident, the Commissioner of Police, CP Ali Umar Fage, warned political actors, supporters and other individuals against engaging in thuggery, violence or activities capable of disrupting public peace.

He urged residents to remain calm and law-abiding while exercising their political rights peacefully, assuring that anyone found culpable would be arrested and prosecuted.

Meanwhile, the Katsina State Government has dismissed reports linking the Yankara disturbance to Governor Radda’s campaign rally, attributing the incident to a disagreement between participants in a Maulud procession and security personnel.

In a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ibrahim Mohammed Kaula, the government said preliminary information indicated that a disagreement over the designated route for the procession had led to confusion on a public street.

It stressed that the incident had no connection with the governor’s campaign activities or the Tinubu-Dikko 2027 rally in Faskari.

The government said Radda passed through Yankara safely on his way to Faskari, where he visited the District Head’s Palace and inspected renovation works at the local government secretariat and council chambers before attending the rally.

It called on relevant security agencies to investigate the incident and establish what transpired, while urging media organisations, bloggers and social media users to verify information before publication.

The government also appealed to residents to remain calm, maintain peace and avoid spreading unverified information that could heighten tensions.

Despite the incident, the governor proceeded with the campaign rally in Faskari, where he announced the completion and opening of the Faskari General Hospital, as well as other development projects in the area.