By Segun Onibiyo
(Katsina)- The first crack of dawn had barely broken over the dusty fields of Dutsen Wori when gunfire erupted. Residents had been warned. The bandits were coming.
But this time, the villagers weren’t alone.
Backed by military intelligence and local vigilance, a joint security team staged a pre-dawn ambush on April 10 that ended with five bandit-terrorists dead and seven of their motorcycles seized. The scene, police say, was swift and surgical – a growing example of what Katsina State security officials call a new era of “community-anchored resistance.”
A United Front
“This operation was not a lucky break – it was the result of targeted intelligence and the strength of joint collaboration,” said Katsina State Police Public Relations Officer, Abubakar Aliyu to the press.
According to Aliyu, police worked side-by-side with the military, State Security Services (SSS), the Community Watch Corps, and local vigilantes [informal volunteers with shotguns] to intercept criminals in Dandume County [Local Government Area]. Similar raids in Danmusa County led to the arrest of three alleged bandit informants and the recovery of two motorcycles and two bicycles.
“These are not just criminals – they are networks of terrorists,” said Aliyu. “And we are dismantling them piece by piece.”
Experts Weigh In
Dr. Salisu Ibrahim, a security analyst and lecturer at Ahmadu Bello University, told TruthNigeria that this model of inter-agency collaboration is key. “What’s different now is the grassroots involvement. Vigilante groups and Community Watch Corps bring hyper-local knowledge. They know the terrain, the people, the patterns”.
Former military officer and security consultant Major Aminu Dalhatu (Rtd.) warned, however, that success must be sustained. “These victories are tactical wins. Without continued logistics, political will, and socioeconomic investment, we risk reverting to the old status quo,” he texted to TruthNigeria.
Meanwhile, Ms. Hauwa Yusuf of the Center for Community Security in Maiduguri, believes transparency and community trust are just as important. “These attacks have the insignia of Boko Haram [an Islamic State-linked insurgency] on it. To maintain public confidence, these operations must be as accountable as they are aggressive,” she said to TruthNigeria. “Communities must see results without abuses.”
“We Sleep with One Eye Open.”
For residents such as Musa Garba in Dandume, the latest victory is more than a headline. “For years, we’ve buried our brothers, paid ransom to criminals, and watched our children go to sleep in fear,” he said to TruthNigeria. “Last week, for the first time, I saw soldiers walking with our hunters. I saw hope.”
Fatima Ibrahim, a mother of five in Danmusa, echoed that sentiment. “We sleep with one eye open. But when I saw those motorcycles paraded at the station, I knew something had changed. I pray it is sustained,” she told TruthNigeria.
A Deepening Crisis
Terrorism has plagued the Northwest for nearly a decade, with Katsina, Zamfara, and parts of Kaduna at the epicenter. Most terrorist attacks are led by the Fulani Ethnic Militia (FEM) attacking mainly Christian-Hausa dominated communities. The Fulani tribe, with 20 million members in Nigeria is among the nation’s largest ethnic groups. Only a small fraction of the total number are criminals.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has minimized the conflicts as resulting from “misunderstandings” between ethnic groups. “The ongoing violence between communities in Plateau State, rooted in misunderstandings between different ethnic and religious groups must cease,” the President said on April 14 on his official web page.
Opinion leaders across Nigeria have argued against this narrative, as killings of Christians have morphed into a multi-million-naira terrorism, kidnapping and extortion industry. According to a 2024 TruthNigeria investigation, more than 2,700 people were abducted nationwide last year – more than 800 of them in the Northwest. TruthNigeria interviews and Release International have documented a sectarian motivation in many kidnappings.
In Katsina alone, security agencies say more than 120 community-led attacks were documented in 2023. In the Northeast, similar strategies in Borno and Yobe have helped dislodge terror cells from reclaimed communities, bolstering faith in grassroots defense.
Meanwhile, Major A. Ibrahim (Rtd.), commander of Katsina’s Community Watch Corps (Community Guards), dropped a bombshell days later, alleging that elements within the Nigerian Army are supplying arms to criminal groups, extorting farmers, and even facilitating ransom payments to kidnappers.
“This is beyond betrayal,” Ibrahim told TruthNigeria in a telephone interview. “Soldiers tasked with protecting our communities are now contributing to their destruction.”
The Watch Corps had tracked Hafizu for over a week before making the arrest. During interrogation, Ibrahim said, Hafizu named a soldier – identified only as Ade – as the supplier of the ammunition. The confession, he said, confirms suspicions harbored for years by locals.
“We’ve received multiple reports, especially from Funtua and Nabi, about soldiers demanding illegal levies from farmers during harvest, confiscating crops, and aiding in the logistics of ransom deliveries,” Ibrahim said.
Fight Not Over
The Katsina State Commissioner of Police, Bello Shehu, commended the professionalism shown in the April raids and called for continued vigilance. “This is a fight for our future,” he said. “Terrorism and banditry are not just a security issue — it’s a threat to our way of life,” he told TruthNigeria.
As the sun sets on Wori Village, the scars remain. But so does the resolve.
“Next time they come,” said local vigilante leader Malam Isiaku, “they’ll know this land is not theirs anymore.”
Segun Onibiyo is a conflict reporter for TruthNigeria.
