At least eight residents of Biresawa village in Tsanyawa Local Government Area of Kano State have been abducted after suspected bandits launched a late-night attack, despite community members reportedly notifying security operatives beforehand.

According to Daily Trust, the gunmen stormed the area between 11pm and midnight on Monday. Multiple sources confirmed that the assailants moved swiftly through the village, seizing two men and six women.

“They came as usual, and from what we have gathered, two males and six females were taken. We still have no information on their whereabouts,” one source said.

A resident, Kabiru Usman, whose family members were among those abducted, recounted how the attackers entered through the neighbouring Tsundu village.

“They came on foot with guns. They kidnapped my wife, Umma; my 17-year-old daughter, Fati; my brother’s wife; and two other women,” he said.
“We tried to resist, but our weapons were nothing compared to theirs.”

Usman revealed that villagers had earlier alerted both the police and military after receiving information that bandits were advancing toward the community.

“We informed the security agencies ahead of time. They had given us their contact numbers and told us to reach out if we noticed anything,” he added.

In addition to Biresawa, the bandits were said to have attacked Sarmawa, Yan Chibi, and Gano villages within Tsanyawa LGA.

A resident of Yan Chibi described the frightening scene:
“About 50 bandits on motorcycles stormed our community, firing shots into the air. Everyone ran for safety. We later discovered they had abducted several people, mostly women, though we don’t yet know the exact number.”

He said more than 10 people may have been abducted across the affected villages. Vigilantes and residents attempted to pursue the attackers but reportedly lost track of them after they crossed into Katsina State.

Communities in the area have been living in fear as attacks spill over from neighbouring Shanono and Bagwai LGAs, forcing many families to sleep away from their homes at night.

Efforts to reach the Kano State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abdullahi Kiyawa, were unsuccessful, as calls to his phone went unanswered at the time of filing this report.