Katsina lawmaker breaks down in tears as bandits overrun eight wards, kill 12 in Matazu

Tension has gripped Katsina State after bandits reportedly seized control of eight out of 10 wards in Matazu Local Government Area, killing at least 12 people in just two days.

The grim situation was brought to light on Tuesday during plenary at the Katsina State House of Assembly, where the Chief Whip, Ibrahim Umar Dikko, broke down in tears while addressing his colleagues.

“Out of the 10 wards, eight are under siege. Farmers cannot go to farms. Just yesterday, by the entrance of the town near the secondary school, they killed a young man and rustled four oxen,” Dikko said, visibly overwhelmed.

The lawmaker warned that farmers had been forced to abandon their farmlands, leaving entire communities without livelihood. His outcry prompted lawmakers to immediately pass motions calling on both state and federal governments to deploy reinforcements to Matazu and neighbouring Sabuwa. The assembly also demanded an investigation into what it described as the sudden withdrawal of security personnel from affected areas.

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Residents, however, insist that the crisis remains unresolved. Villagers in Matazu and Sabuwa say farmlands are still unsafe, families are still displaced, and attacks continue unchecked.

“We have not seen any fresh deployment. People are too scared to return to their farms,” said Aminu Murtala, a resident of Rinjin Idi, one of six communities that recently petitioned the state governor over worsening insecurity.

The chairman of Matazu Local Government Council, Shamsuddeen Muhammad Sayaya, has appealed for calm, insisting that efforts are underway to curb the violence. “Authorities are working tirelessly with security agencies to restore peace,” he assured.

Despite these assurances, locals say bandits remain entrenched in villages, enforcing fear and disrupting daily life, with little indication yet of a strong military or police response.

Source: RipplesNigeria | Read Full Story…