Armed bandits have unleashed another wave of terror in Kano State, killing a sixty-year-old grandmother and abducting four residents during a midnight raid on Yankamaye village in Tsanyawa Local Government Area.
Brutal Midnight Attack
The violent incident occurred on Saturday, November 29, 2025, when the bandits stormed the sleeping community around 11 p.m. According to local sources who spoke anonymously due to security concerns, the attackers arrived on motorcycles and immediately began terrorizing residents.
The elderly woman was shot dead after she pleaded with the assailants not to take her son away. Witnesses confirmed that the bandits showed no mercy, killing the mother when she attempted to prevent her son's abduction. The criminals proceeded to kidnap the young man despite the tragic outcome.
In another disturbing account from the same attack, bandits invaded another house in the village where they threatened two women. One of the threatened women is reportedly the sister-in-law of the local ward councillor, highlighting how the violence affected community leaders' families.
Military Response and Rescue Operation
The troops of Operation MESA swiftly responded to the crisis after receiving a distressed call from Yankamaye Cikin Gari village. In an official statement released on Sunday, Captain Babatunde Zubairu, Assistant Director of Army Public Relations for 3 Brigade, Nigerian Army, confirmed the military's intervention.
The joint security operation comprising personnel from 3 Brigade Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, and Nigerian Police engaged the bandits during a fighting patrol. According to Captain Zubairu, the gallant troops made contact with the criminals and successfully rescued seven victims who had been kidnapped during the attack.
"Upon receiving the information, the troops pursued the bandits along their withdrawal route towards Rimaye, engaged them with a high volume of fire, and swiftly rescued the abducted victims," the Army spokesman stated. However, he confirmed that four kidnapped victims remain unaccounted for as the bandits fled towards Kankia LGA in Katsina State.
Political Leaders Demand Action
The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, has expressed deep concern over the incessant bandit attacks in Kano State. In a strongly worded statement released through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ismail Mudashir, the senator called for immediate security reinforcement.
Senator Barau urged security agencies to "take the fight to the criminal elements" who he identified as coming from neighbouring states. He emphasized that the incursion of these marauding criminals into Tsanyawa and Shanono Local Government Areas must stop immediately.
"I have received the distressing report of the killing of a woman and the kidnapping of three persons in Yankamaye village when the villagers had retired to bed," Senator Barau stated. He noted that this incident follows a similar attack in Biresawa village within the same local government area just days earlier.
The senator commended security agencies for their previous engagements in the area but stressed the need for doubled efforts to rescue the remaining abducted persons and permanently tackle the security threat.
Security forces continue to track the bandits' location while the Commander of 3 Brigade has praised troops for their bravery and prompt response. The military has urged members of the public to provide timely and credible information to assist ongoing operations against banditry in the region.
