Katsina security forces kill 18 suspected bandits in ambush

Joint security forces killed 18 suspected bandits during an ambush at Gidan Iyado in Kakumi Ward, Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State, according to the Katsina State Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs. The operation took place at about 1am on Monday, September 21, 2026, and was based on intelligence that the group was planning to abduct residents for ransom, the ministry said in a statement. Security personnel laid an ambush for the group and engaged them in a gun battle, resulting in the deaths of 18 suspected bandits, according to the ministry. Accounts of the participating forces differ: the statement variously credits hunters, members of the Community Watch Corps and local vigilante groups, while Governor Dikko Radda also commended the military, the Department of State Services and vigilantes for the intelligence that led to the operation. Items recovered after the gun battle included one G3 rifle, two AK47 rifles, 14 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition and three motorcycles, as well as two cows and 94 sheep suspected to have been rustled by the group, the ministry said.