KATSINA, Nigeria — The persistent wave of violence plaguing parts of Katsina State claimed the lives of a local security commander and four operatives on Saturday, May 24, 2025, after their patrol team was ambushed by suspected bandits in Matazu Local Government Area.
Commander Sanusi, who oversaw operations of the state’s Community Security Watch Corps (C-Watch) in Kusada, Kankia, and parts of Charanchi, was among those killed.
According to local sources, the security team was en route to Maharba village in response to a distress call warning of a large concentration of bandits advancing on nearby communities.
Eyewitnesses said the patrol, travelling in a Hilux vehicle, was ambushed near a major stream.
“Bandits numbering about 20, on motorcycles, concealed themselves in mango trees and launched a surprise attack,” one source said.
The attackers reportedly set the vehicle ablaze, killing the security operatives inside.
The grisly incident prompted an immediate response from the Katsina State Government.
On Sunday, May 25, 2025, Governor Dikko Radda led a high-level security delegation to Maharba village for an on-the-spot assessment.
The delegation included the state’s Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Dr. Nasiru Muazu Danmusa, the Commissioner of Police, the Director of State Security Services, Chief of Staff Alhaji Abdulkadir Mamman Nasir, and other top security officials.
They were guided to the scene by Matazu Local Government Chairman, Alhaji Shamsudeen Muhammad Sayaya.
A statement from the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed, said the visit was aimed at understanding the security landscape in “hard-to-reach areas” and engaging directly with residents affected by the crisis.
“On behalf of the government and the good people of Katsina, Governor Radda expressed condolences to the families of the deceased C-Watch personnel, praying that God Almighty will grant the families and the state the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss,” the statement said.
The ambush follows a recent attack in Gobirawa community, Dutsinma Local Government Area, where 19 residents were killed and their homes and shops set ablaze in what has become a pattern of increasingly deadly raids across rural Katsina.
Despite stepped-up efforts to counter the threat, rural communities in Katsina remain highly vulnerable to attacks by armed gangs, often referred to as bandits, who operate with impunity across large swathes of Nigeria’s northwest.
Security agencies have yet to confirm any arrests related to Saturday’s incident.
