Bandits in Nigeria ambush and kill 21 government-backed fighters | Conflict Matters

A group of pro-government thugs were returning from a funeral when they were attacked by thugs in Katsina County.

At least 21 government-backed soldiers have been killed in an ambush by terrorists in Nigeria’s northwestern Katsina State, according to authorities.

Katsina police spokesperson Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu told AFP news on Saturday that a convoy of pro-government soldiers was returning to offer condolences to the family of a colleague who died when he was attacked by bandits in Baure village, Safana district. .

“Sadly, 21 people were shot dead as a result of this attack,” said Aliyu, adding that the police wanted to “ensure the arrest of the perpetrators” of the attack, which took place on Tuesday.

However, Witnesses told Nigeria’s Premium Times that an estimated 25 people died in the attack, while many civilians are still missing.

Nigerian newspaper The Guardian said the soldiers were members of the government-backed Katsina Community Watch Corps (KCWC).

The newspaper also quoted Aliyu as saying that the police were deployed at the scene to help resolve the situation.

Katsina is one of the states in north-west and central Nigeria that have been hit by criminals who raid towns, kill and kidnap civilians and burn and loot homes.

In June 2024, at least seven people were killed and 100 kidnapped when gunmen attacked a rural community in the state.

The gangs, which maintain camps in the vast forest surrounding Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna and Niger states, have gained a reputation for kidnapping scores of students from schools in recent years.

The Nigerian group Boko Haram has also attacked and kidnapped in the state.

In 2023, Katsina State Governor Dikko Umar Radda established the KCWC militia consisting of about 2,000 people to assist the military and police in the fight against gangs.