Terrorists Disguised as Women Kidnap 26 People in Katsina State

In a brazen attack over the weekend, terrorists disguised in women’s Abaya dresses abducted 26 individuals from the Runka community in Katsina State.

The victims of this heinous act are predominantly women and children.

According to a report from Vanguard, a local resident disclosed, “In my house alone, they abducted 10 females and two males. In total, they kidnapped 26 people from the community.” The source attributed the attack to the nefarious activities of informants within the community, who collaborated with the terrorists to undermine government efforts in combating terrorism. “One of the terrorists was even heard exchanging pleasantries with an informant, telling him, ‘today we’ve come to your hometown’. We’re yet to identify him,” the source alleged.

Abdullahi Sani Safana, Chairman of Safana Local Government Area, confirmed the kidnapping, stating that 22 locals were initially taken, though some managed to escape.

He explained that the community was caught off guard as the terrorists disguised themselves by wearing Abaya, a traditional dress worn by women in the area.

The local Divisional Police Officer (DPO) has deployed operatives, who, along with soldiers stationed in the area, have commenced a rescue mission.

In a related incident, Abduljalal Haruna Runka, Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, expressed concern over the lack of prior information regarding the terrorists’ movements. “They just appeared in the middle of the night. We are going back to the drawing board to analyze the situation and understand why we couldn’t get the information,” he said.