In a brazen attack that has left residents in palpable fear, armed bandits have kidnapped five nursing mothers from Yan Kwada village in the Faruruwa community of Shanono Local Government Area, Kano State.
Details of the Sunday Night Raid
The fresh incursion occurred on Sunday night, with bandits riding on motorcycles storming the Fulani-dominated village. Alhaji Yahya Bagobiri, a community leader in Faruruwa village, confirmed to journalists on Monday that the assailants not only abducted the women but also threw away their babies before taking the mothers to an undisclosed location.
This attack comes barely a week after troops from the 3 Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Kano successfully repelled a deadly invasion, neutralizing 19 gang members. Despite this previous success and the heavy deployment of military personnel, the bandits struck again.
In a glimmer of hope, it was reported that one of the five kidnapped women managed to escape the bandits' clutches and has since returned to her family. This leaves four nursing mothers still in captivity.
Community Desperation and Security Failure
Bagobiri, who also serves as the Chairman of the Community Security Forum of Faruruwa, expressed deep concern over the persistent attacks. He described a situation that is getting out of hand, with communities experiencing daily raids and loss of livestock, despite the visible presence of security forces for the past three weeks.
He revealed a critical security failure: Residents alerted security personnel about the impending attack, but no action was taken until the bandits arrived around 9 p.m., raided houses, and executed the abductions.
The consequence has been a mass exodus. The ugly development has forced residents to flee for safety, leaving the village deserted.
A Plea for Immediate Reinforcement
Faced with escalating violence, the community leader has issued a strong appeal to President Bola Tinubu, the National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, and other top security officials to come to their rescue before it is too late.
While acknowledging the government's initial response in deploying the military, Bagobiri pleaded for more robust action. We urge the authorities to strengthen the forces and provide more armed personnel in the affected communities, he said, highlighting the gap between security presence and effective protection.
Efforts to get an official response from the military were unsuccessful, as the spokesperson, Captain Babatunde Zubairu, could not be reached for comments on the incident.
