By Palang Paul
KATSINA, Nigeria — The people of Gidan Mantau in Katsina State are reeling after armed bandits unleashed a deadly assault on their community, leaving at least 45 people dead and more than 60 others kidnapped. The attack has plunged the once-peaceful farming settlement into mourning and despair.
According to a statement from the Katsina State Government, 13 people were confirmed killed. However, residents tells a different story with the true facts insisting that the toll is far higher.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of devastation, saying dozens of homes were set ablaze and many families wiped out.
> “I personally buried 23 bodies with my own hands. Some died in the mosque, others while being taken to the hospital. In total, we lost more than 50 people,” said Zuladaini Ibrahim, a community member, his voice heavy with grief.
The attackers reportedly set houses on fire while residents tried to flee. Rayyanu Adamu recounted how his brother attempted to escape by climbing into the ceiling. “They set the house on fire, he came down because of the heat, but they shot him dead,” he said.
The assault left homes reduced to ashes, families grieving their loved ones, and survivors questioning whether the government has abandoned them.
> “All we are asking is for the government to help us bring peace to our village. Our parents have been killed, our brothers, we are just a few left now,” one villager pleaded.
Bloodstains still mark the ground where victims fell, residents said, a grim reminder of the scale of the violence. Many accused authorities of neglect, pointing to years of insecurity with little or no state intervention.
“This is too much for us to bear as we have lost everything,” another resident lamented. “We have no schools, no hospitals, no electricity. Our families have been killed and our children taken away. Truly, we do not even know what government is.”
Beyond the killings and kidnappings, Gidan Mantau suffers from chronic underdevelopment. The community has no access roads, no basic healthcare, and no functioning schools. Farming — the sole source of livelihood — has been brought to a halt by persistent violence.
The villagers warn that without urgent intervention, the crisis could escalate further. “If this town collapses, the entire western part of Malumi will fall,” one elder said, underscoring the community’s desperation.
For now, grief, fear, and anger dominate Gidan Mantau — a town once defined by serenity and farming, now scarred by loss and uncertainty.
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