In yet another bloodcurdling escalation of violence, armed terrorists unleashed horror on Gobirawa Community in Kuki Ward, Dutsinma Local Government Area of Katsina State, killing at least 19 residents in a savage overnight raid.
The attackers, believed to have emerged from the notorious Danmusa forest, struck around 9 p.m. on Saturday, firing sporadically into homes and streets as terrified villagers fled for their lives. Eyewitness accounts reveal a night drenched in terror and chaos, with women, children, and the elderly dragged away into captivity while homes were consumed by flames.
Sani Abdullahi Kuki, a resident who barely escaped the carnage, confirmed the massacre in a telephone interview with Channels Television. “They killed 19 people on the spot. Many others are missing. I doubt if up to 20 women are left in the village. The entire community has been thrown into mourning and despair,” he lamented.
According to Kuki, the attackers razed more than 20 homes and all shops in the community, leaving survivors with nothing but ashes and grief. “We evacuated those who survived using over 20 vehicles to safer places,” he said, voice breaking with emotion.
Describing the devastating aftermath, Kuki added: “I couldn’t even stay till the end of the burial. I left the cemetery when they started digging graves for five other victims who were burnt beyond recognition. Some residents who hid inside grain silos were set ablaze. Their charred bodies were discovered the next morning.”
Injured victims were rushed to Dutsinma General Hospital, while those in critical condition were referred to medical facilities in Katsina town for urgent treatment.
The attackers reportedly fled upon sighting an approaching Armoured Personnel Carrier, but by then, the damage had already been done — lives lost, families shattered, and a community left in ruins.
“We are begging the authorities to come to our rescue. This is war knocking at our doorsteps. We need immediate and sustained security deployment before our entire local government becomes a battlefield,” Kuki passionately appealed.
As of the time of filing this report, efforts to reach the spokesman of the Katsina State Police Command, ASP Abubakar Sadiq, proved futile as he neither responded to calls nor replied to text messages.
Katsina State, the home state of former President Muhammadu Buhari, has witnessed a surge in violent attacks in recent years, with rural communities like Gobirawa often bearing the brunt of banditry, kidnapping, and arson in the absence of robust security presence.
The latest carnage underscores the deteriorating security situation in the North-West and raises urgent questions about the federal and state governments’ capacity to protect the lives and property of citizens in the region.
PIONEER NEWS 