Bandits kill vigilante leader as protesters block Katsina highway

Suspected bandits have killed a vigilante leader during an attack on Gora Village in Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State, triggering a protest that led to the temporary blockade of the Malumfashi–Katsina highway.

Katsina State Police Command confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Thursday by its spokesperson, DSP Abubakar Sadiq.

According to the statement, a distress call was received at the Malumfashi Divisional Police Headquarters at about 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, reporting that armed bandits had attacked Gora Village.

The police said the Divisional Police Officer immediately mobilised a team of operatives to the scene, where they repelled the attackers and foiled the assault. 

However, before the arrival of the security team, the bandits had fatally shot the community’s vigilante leader, Alhaji Nuhu Barau.

The command said surveillance and patrols had been intensified in the area to track down the fleeing suspects.

The statement added that at about 5:00 p.m. on the same day, police received another distress call that an angry crowd had blocked a section of the Malumfashi–Katsina highway, disrupting vehicular movement.

According to the police, the Divisional Police Officer, supported by military personnel, responded to the scene and restored normalcy after dispersing the protesters and clearing the highway.

The command said no arrests had been made in connection with the incidents, adding that investigations were ongoing to apprehend the fleeing attackers and determine the circumstances surrounding the attack.

Police spokesperson Abubakar Sadiq urged residents not to take the law into their own hands and appealed to members of the public to channel grievances through lawful means.

Meanwhile, local sources claimed that another resident was also killed during the attack in Gidan Barau village and that the highway remained blocked for about four hours before security personnel dispersed the protesters.

The police, however, officially confirmed only the death of the vigilante leader, Alhaji Nuhu Barau.