Magaji Ahmadu, the village head of Sayaya in Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State, says persistent bandit attacks have forced most residents to flee the community.
Speaking in an interview with News Central TV, Ahmadu said the village’s security crisis began after the father of a suspected bandit kingpin was killed on a Salah day. He said the circumstances surrounding the killing remain unclear, with some attributing it to security agents and others to rival groups operating in the forest.
According to Ahmadu, residents feared a retaliatory attack and many fled to neighbouring states. He alleged that the bandit later led armed men into Sayaya, where about 10 people were killed during the assault.
“What happened was that on Salah day, there was a crisis where the father of one of the bandit kingpins was killed… When the bandits entered our community, they began to shoot our people and killed about 10 people,” he said.
Ahmadu added that Sayaya’s population has dropped from more than 5,000 residents to about 200 as a result of the ongoing insecurity.
