Panic in Katsina as helicopter allegedly drops armed bandits in village attack

Intense panic and confusion have gripped Gurbi village in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State following a shocking attack on Sunday, allegedly carried out by armed bandits who were dropped off by a helicopter.

The brazen assault left at least 10 villagers with gunshot wounds, while homes were looted, livestock stolen, and numerous vehicles set ablaze.

Eyewitnesses reported that the helicopter landed in the Kuka Mai Zuma area of Gurbi, where it allegedly offloaded heavily armed men.

According to a resident, the gunmen opened fire almost immediately after landing. “It didn’t even take five minutes before they started shooting. At least 10 people were hit and rushed to the hospital,” the source stated, highlighting the swift and brutal nature of the attack.

The attackers reportedly operated for nearly two hours, moving through the village, systematically looting households, and rustling livestock. “They took everything—cows, goats, rams. They even set vehicles on fire,” another villager recounted, detailing the extensive damage and loss. At least 10 vehicles were confirmed destroyed in the attack, and a number of residents remain missing.

As of the time of this report, there has been no official statement from law enforcement or government authorities regarding the alleged use of a helicopter or the identities of the attackers.

This alarming incident comes just a day after five operatives of the Katsina Community Watch Corps were ambushed and killed by suspected bandits in Maharba village, Matazu Local Government Area.

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Governor Dikko Umaru Radda had visited the scene of that incident and pledged stronger action to tackle the rising wave of insecurity in the state.

The alleged use of a helicopter in Sunday’s attack has sparked widespread concern and speculation among residents, who fear an unprecedented escalation in the sophistication of bandit operations.

This incident echoes a similar report from 2019, when a suspected bandit reportedly confessed that a helicopter had dropped weapons for his gang in the Dinya Forest area, also within Kankara Local Government.

Calls are now mounting for an urgent and thorough investigation into the latest attack and for significantly improved security measures across vulnerable communities in Katsina State and the wider Northwest region, as residents grapple with the seemingly evolving tactics of criminal elements.