Terror Strikes As Bandit Kills dozen , kidnap others Days After Paying “Peace Settlement” With The Community

Terror Strikes As Bandit Kills dozen , kidnap others Days After Paying “Peace Settlement” With The Community 

 Katsina, Nigeria — October 30, 2025

Tragedy befell the quiet community of Na’alma in Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, when heavily armed bandits stormed the town at dawn, killing more than a dozen residents and abducting several others — barely a week after villagers reportedly paid a settlement fee to the terrorists in a desperate attempt to secure peace.

The attack, which occurred at about 5:16 a.m. during the early morning Faji (Muslim prayer), sent waves of terror across the area. Witnesses say the assailants arrived on motorcycles, firing sporadically and setting homes ablaze as worshippers fled for safety.

“They came when people were praying. Before we knew it, gunshots filled the air. They killed many, and those who tried to run were captured,” said one resident who narrowly escaped the assault.

In what locals described as a “message of fear,” a man who attempted to flee was reportedly caught and beheaded on the spot, an act believed to serve as a warning to others who might resist or escape during future raids.

The community of Na’alma had only days earlier reached an agreement with the marauding gangs — paying a negotiated amount as part of what has become a common form of “protection fee” in parts of Nigeria’s northwest. The renewed violence, despite this settlement, has deepened public despair over the government’s ability to protect rural communities.

Katsina State, located in Nigeria’s North-West region, has long been regarded as relatively safer compared to the insurgency-ravaged North-East and North-Central zones, where groups such as Boko Haram and ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province) have held sway for over a decade. However, the recent escalation of banditry has blurred these regional distinctions, with rural populations now living under siege.

Security analysts say the attack on Na’alma reflects a growing breakdown in state authority and a dangerous pattern of terrorists extorting communities under the guise of peace deals — only to return days later to plunder and kill.

“What happened in Na’alma is part of a wider trend. The so-called settlements have emboldened these groups. They now see communities as sources of revenue rather than victims,” said a security expert in Katsina who requested anonymity.

As of press time, security forces had yet to release an official statement on the incident, and no arrests have been made. Local vigilante groups and residents continue to search for those abducted during the raid.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, continues to face a complex web of insecurity ranging from insurgency in the northeast to banditry and kidnapping in the northwest. Despite multiple military operations and government pledges to restore peace, communities like Na’alma remain trapped in a cycle of fear, extortion, and death.