Residents of Shanono Local Government Area in Kano State have raised alarm over repeated attacks by armed bandits allegedly crossing from neighbouring Katsina State to terrorise their communities.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, the leader of Farin-Ruwa community, Alhaji Yahaya Bagobiri, appealed to President Bola Tinubu and Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to intervene urgently before the situation escalates.
“We are appealing to President Bola Tinubu and Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to come to our rescue. Many of our people have started fleeing their homes to Kano metropolis and nearby towns due to incessant attacks,” Bagobiri said.
According to him, bandits launched fresh assaults on Tuesday and Wednesday, injuring several residents and rustling dozens of cattle.
Shanono, located about 85 kilometres northwest of Kano city, borders Kankiya, Musawa, and Danja local government areas of Katsina State—known flashpoints of bandit activity.
While Kano has largely been spared from the widespread insecurity plaguing neighbouring Kaduna and Katsina, the latest incursions have sparked fears that the violence may be spreading.
Bagobiri identified the worst-hit communities as Farin-Ruwa, Kuraku, Gorantuse, Saure, and Shadu, adding that over 40 cows and other valuables were stolen in recent attacks.
Another resident, who spoke to BBC Hausa on condition of anonymity, said the assaults have persisted for two to three months, with bandits raiding the area “about seven or eight times now.”
“The losses are enormous — I can’t even quantify the value of the livestock and property we’ve lost,” he said, adding that the latest raid saw the theft of between 800 and 1,000 cattle.
Although no one was abducted in the most recent attack, he confirmed that several people were shot. “In previous incidents, they used to shoot people at our local market in Farin-Ruwa,” he said.
He noted that while the attackers’ motive remains unclear, residents believe their wealth in livestock may have made them targets. “In the past, we only heard of such attacks from afar, but now they have become our daily reality,” he lamented.
