In a brazen nighttime attack, terrorists disguised in women’s Abaya kidnapped 26 people, mostly women and children, from the Runka community in Katsina State. The assault took place around 10:30 p.m. and involved heavy gunfire.
A local resident reported that ten females and two males were taken from his household alone. He blamed the attack on informants within the community who collaborated with the terrorists.
“One of the terrorists was even seen greeting an informant, saying ‘today we’ve come to your hometown,’” he said.
Abdullahi Sani Safana, Chairman of Safana Local Government Area, confirmed the incident, noting that 22 locals were initially abducted, though some managed to escape. He stated that security forces, including police and soldiers, are now on a rescue mission.
Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Abduljalal Haruna Runka, expressed frustration over the lack of prior intelligence, which typically helps prevent such attacks. “We are re-evaluating our strategies to understand why we missed this information,” he said.
