Security forces comprising hunters, members of the Community Watch Corps and local vigilante groups have reportedly killed 18 armed bandits during a joint operation in Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The Katsina State Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs said the operation took place in the early hours of Monday, September 21, 2026, at Gidan Iyado, Kakumi Ward, following intelligence on a planned mass abduction for ransom.
The ministry disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Dr Nasir Mua’zu.
According to the statement, the operation began at about 1am after security personnel received information about the planned activities of the criminal group.
The ministry said the joint team laid an ambush and engaged the bandits, resulting in the deaths of 18 members of the group.
The statement identified one Alhaji Musa Duki, described by the ministry as a former school headmaster turned bandit kingpin, as the leader of the group.
According to the ministry, Duki operates from Mununu Forest in Faskari Local Government Area.
The ministry said the operation also led to the recovery of several weapons and other items allegedly belonging to the bandits.
The recovered items, according to the statement, included one G3 rifle, two AK-47 rifles and 14 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition.
Security personnel also recovered three motorcycles, two cows and 94 sheep during the operation.
The ministry said no member of the security team was killed or injured during the operation.
It said the operation formed part of ongoing efforts by the Katsina State Government and security agencies to tackle banditry and other criminal activities affecting communities across the state.
The Commissioner, speaking on behalf of Governor Dikko Umar Radda, assured residents that further operations were underway to locate the alleged kingpin and dismantle his network.
The ministry said a sustained covert operation was ongoing to track Duki and other members of his network.
According to the statement, the government would continue operations until criminal hideouts and forests used by bandits in the affected areas were cleared.
The ministry also commended the hunters, Community Watch Corps members and local vigilantes involved in the operation for what it described as their gallantry and cooperation.
It said the joint operation demonstrated the role of community-based security initiatives in supporting efforts to tackle insecurity.
The ministry urged residents to continue providing security agencies with timely and credible information on suspicious activities and movements.
It reiterated that maintaining security required cooperation between residents, community-based security groups, government authorities and conventional security agencies.
The Katsina State Government has continued to rely on a combination of conventional security agencies and community-based security structures in its response to banditry and other criminal activities affecting parts of the state.
West Trybe reports that the reported operation in Bakori comes amid continued efforts by authorities in Katsina to disrupt armed criminal groups, recover weapons and prevent attacks and mass abductions in vulnerable communities across the state.
