Tension has gripped some local government areas of Kano State following a series of bandit attacks that reportedly left three people dead and many abducted within the past week.
The affected areas -- Shanono, Bagwai, and Tsanyawa Local Government Areas -- have continued to experience repeated incursions of armed bandits despite the deployment of heavily armed security personnel to the region.
Speaking to journalists on Saturday in Kano, the District Head of Faruruwa in Shanono Local Government Area, Mustapha Abubakar, expressed concern over the deteriorating security situation.
He said, "In the last three days, many people have been killed while several young boys and girls have been kidnapped in our area."
According to him, the attackers often infiltrate the area from neighbouring Katsina State, where they allegedly enjoy safe passage through some local communities.
"The bandits enter through bush paths linking Katsina and our villages. They trek into our communities, bypassing security checkpoints," he explained.
He urged the military to adopt new strategies by taking control of all bush routes and escape corridors used by the criminals.
Also speaking, the chairman of the Faruruwa Local Security Committee, Alhaji Yahya Bagobiri, lamented that the attacks have intensified in recent days, leaving residents in fear.
"In less than a week, several people have been abducted while just yesterday, a man was slaughtered in his home and his children taken away," he revealed.
Bagobiri noted that many residents have fled their homes while others cannot risk visiting their families for fear of being attacked.
He called on both President Bola Tinubu and Kano State governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, to urgently intervene to prevent further escalation.
"What these bandits are trying to do is to take over Shanono, Tsanyawa, Bagwai, Gwarzo, and Bichi, and eventually encircle Kano with their attacks," he warned.
Efforts to get official confirmation from the Kano State Police Command were unsuccessful as of press time.
However, a police source, who spoke anonymously, said that no official complaints had been lodged yet from the affected areas.