Search efforts are ongoing in the aftermath of a brutal dawn raid by armed bandits on a mosque in Unguwan Mantau, Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State. Survivors report that more than 50 bodies have been recovered so far amid desperate efforts to locate additional victims in the surrounding bushes.
Villagers, many of whom were only able to reach the area via rugged terrain, say that roads leading to the community remain deserted and unsecured, with no visible presence of security personnel to prevent further attacks. It took several hours before state officials finally reached the town—addressing locals from the roadside rather than venturing deeper into the besieged settlement.
Some families, having not seen their loved ones among the recovered remains, are conducting their own search operations in nearby bushlands, aided by friends and community members.
Residents describe a community in deep grief, recalling that in one tragic household, all 15 members were locked inside and killed. Homes were set ablaze, with at least ten people perishing in fires set by the attackers. Dozens of women, children, the elderly, and mothers—some pregnant—have also been abducted. In total, fifteen homes were destroyed in the attack.
Villagers accuse authorities at both state and federal levels of abandoning them in their hour of need. Despite reporting suspicious activity early in the morning, no intervention occurred until long after the assault began. They lament feeling inhumanely neglected and called for urgent government action—both to rescue the abducted and to enhance security.
A security expert, Major (rtd) Bashir Galma, warned that isolated “peace deals” with bandits in nearby areas can undermine broader protection. He cautioned that such arrangements often become counterproductive, displacing attacks to adjacent regions not covered by these agreements.
At the national level, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, expressed growing concern over renewed violence in Katsina and neighbouring states. He acknowledged the intensifying military response but described the slaughter—especially the attack on worshippers—as deeply troubling.
