January 15, 2026 l By Stephen — Dalena Reporters
KATSINA, Nigeria — Armed bandits on Wednesday night launched a brutal attack on Yar Tafki community in the Funtua Local Government Area of Katsina State, killing residents and abducting several others an assault that has intensified public outrage in the wake of a controversial government effort to secure the release of 70 suspected bandits from custody.
The attack, confirmed by security alerts from local sources, occurred despite recent peace agreements brokered between community leaders and armed groups in parts of the state. The violence underscores the fragile security environment in Katsina, one of the North-West’s most volatile zones, where banditry continues to inflict grave harm on rural populations.
The incident has erupted amid simmering controversy over an official letter dated January 2, 2026 from the Katsina State Ministry of Justice requesting judicial intervention to facilitate the release of approximately 70 suspects accused of banditry-related offences. The letter, classified as “SECRET,” was addressed to the Chief Judge of the state and argued that freeing the detainees was a “condition precedent” for sustaining peace accords between local governments and armed groups.
The planned release widely reported and defended by state authorities includes suspects arraigned on serious charges and others awaiting trial in magistrate and high courts across Katsina State. Government officials, including the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, framed the move as part of efforts to consolidate peace deals covering at least 15 local government areas and to secure the freedom of over 1,000 previously abducted hostages.
However, the timing of Wednesday night’s deadly raid has fuelled intense criticism from civil society, legal experts and northern political groups. Opponents argue that releasing suspects accused of heinous crimes including kidnapping, killing and extortion as part of negotiated arrangements undermines the rule of law and signals weakness in the face of organised criminal violence.
The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has condemned Katsina’s planned releases, insisting that peace built on “appeasement and judicial compromise is neither sustainable nor just.” In a statement, the coalition argued that violence persists in parts of the state including Malumfashi Local Government Area and warned that rewarding armed groups without transparent justice processes could entrench insecurity.
Legal advocates and security analysts have also raised concerns that negotiating with criminal networks from a position of apparent vulnerability emboldens attackers and damages public confidence in state capacity. Some commentators note that previous peace initiatives in Nigeria’s North-West have failed to yield lasting calm, with so-called “repentant” fighters often returning to violence.
As of this report, officials from the Katsina State Government and security agencies have not publicly commented on the Wednesday night attack or released updated casualty figures. Meanwhile, resident communities remain on edge, and calls for a comprehensive, rule-based security strategy have intensified in the face of renewed bloodshed.