Again, armed bandits have relaunched an attack in Biresawa village, Tsanyawa Local Government Area of Kano State, abducting no fewer than eight villagers.

The bandits’ incursion came amid intense security deployment and operational resources around Kano communities neighbouring Katsina State.

According to a reliable source who wanted to remain anonymous, the latest incursion ensued at midnight on Monday, when the bandits unleashed terror on the sleeping community.

He said, “They came as usual, and from our findings so far, two males and six females were taken away by the bandits. Up till now, there is no news of their whereabouts.”

Also speaking, one of the relatives of some of the victims in Biresawa, Kabiru Usman, said the attackers struck and took the victims from neighbouring Tsundu village.

“They came on foot, armed with guns. They kidnapped my wife, Umma; my 17-year-old daughter, Fati; my brother’s wife, and two other women,” Usman said.

He further disclosed that community members tried to repel the attack but were quickly overwhelmed. “We tried to stop them, but our weapons were no match for them, as they were carrying guns.”

He added that residents had alerted the police and military after receiving prior warnings that the bandits were heading toward the villages.

“Before the attack occurred, we got a report that they were heading towards us, and we notified the security agencies, including the police and military, ahead of time because they gave us their numbers and asked us to call if we got any information,” he said.

Usman called on the government to ensure the safe return of the kidnapped residents. “We have been living in fear since we heard about attacks in other communities. We need the government to help us and protect us”.

Shanono, Bagwai and Tsanyawa local government areas of the state, all neighbouring Katsina, had suffered deadly attacks in recent times where several villagers were kidnapped and livestock rustled.

The criminal invasion subsided a few weeks ago when the troops of Joint Task Force JTF repelled their usual attack, neutralised 19 bandits and intercepted some of their weapons. Incidentally, the troops lost two gallant men and a vigilant.

To address the challenge, the Kano State government donated operational vehicles and motorcycles to strengthen the military’s ability to overwhelm criminals.

Efforts to get a response from the Kano police command were unsuccessful, as several calls and text messages sent to the spokesperson, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, went unanswered.