Armed bandits launched a deadly attack on Yar Tafki community in Funtua Local Government Area of Katsina State late Wednesday night, killing several residents and abducting multiple others, according to a report by security analyst and journalist Bakatsine.
The assault occurred despite two separate peace agreements negotiated between local stakeholders and the armed groups operating in the area.
The incident highlights persistent insecurity in parts of Katsina State, where communities have faced repeated raids even as state authorities pursue dialogue-based resolutions.
Bakatsine disclosed the attack via a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, January 15, 2026, expressing grave concern over the timing.
“SAD NEWS: last night, bandits attacked Yar Tafki community in Funtua LGA, Katsina State. They killed residents and abducted several others, despite two separate peace deals between LGA stakeholders and the armed groups,” he wrote.
The raid comes amid heightened controversy surrounding the Katsina State Government’s efforts to secure the release of detained suspected bandits as part of broader peace initiatives.
A leaked official letter, dated January 2, 2026, from the state’s Ministry of Justice to the Chief Judge requested assistance in facilitating the release of around 70 suspects held on banditry-related charges.
The document, marked “Secret,” cited the need to sustain peace accords with armed groups in frontline local government areas, including Funtua.
State officials, including Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs Nasir Muazu, have defended the approach, explaining that such releases aim to consolidate community-led agreements that have reportedly resulted in the freedom of approximately 1,000 abducted persons across multiple areas.
The government maintains that the strategy has contributed to reduced violence in some regions, though critics argue it risks undermining justice and emboldening perpetrators.
Bakatsine posed a pointed question in his post: “As communities continue to suffer deadly raids in the State, one pressing question remains: how can peace be pursued while victims are still being attacked and the release of suspected perpetrators is being sought?”
The Yar Tafki incident adds to a pattern of violence in southern Katsina, including Funtua, where similar attacks have occurred in recent weeks despite official claims of progress in negotiations.
Local residents have expressed growing frustration and fear, with many questioning the effectiveness of the peace deals amid ongoing threats to lives and livelihoods.
Security agencies have yet to issue an official statement on the latest attack, and details on casualties remain unconfirmed by independent sources at the time of this report.
The state government has previously attributed some persistent violence to specific non-compliant bandit leaders, but community accounts suggest broader challenges in enforcement and monitoring.