Bandits Attack Wedding Convoy in Katsina, Kill 2 and Injure Several Amid Peace Deal Controversy

Suspected bandits have reportedly attacked a wedding convoy in Unguwar Nagunda Community, Kankara Local Government Area, Katsina State, leaving at least two people dead and several others injured, including the bride.

The attack, which occurred on Sunday night, also involved the abduction of an unspecified number of wedding guests. According to a security source, residents reported heavy gunfire and widespread panic when the bandits arrived in the community.

“As of this morning, families are still trying to confirm how many people were abducted,” the source said. Attempts to reach the Katsina State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Abubakar Sadiq, were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.

Attack Amid Peace Deal

The incident comes as the Katsina State Government was preparing to release 70 detained suspected bandits under a controversial “peace accord” with repentant criminals in the state. The government claims the deal has already facilitated the release of at least 1,000 people who were previously held captive by bandits in various attacks.

On January 2, 2026, the Ministry of Justice issued a classified “SECRET” letter to the state’s Chief Judge, Justice Musa Abubakar, detailing plans to secure the release of the suspected bandits currently facing criminal trials. The letter, signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Abdur-Rahman Umar, requested the intervention of the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee (ACJMC) to facilitate the release.

According to the letter, a list of 48 individuals accused of various banditry-related offences had been submitted by the Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs. The planned release was described as a “condition precedent for the continuance of the peace accord” between the bandits and frontline local governments.

Umar further disclosed that while some suspects were already standing trial before the Federal High Court, others remained in detention awaiting trial at various magistrates’ courts across Katsina. A separate list of 22 inmates currently facing trial before different high courts was also submitted, seeking their release under the same peace arrangement, with the Chief Judge urged to take the necessary action.

The attack underscores ongoing security challenges in Katsina State, raising questions about the effectiveness and risks of the state’s peace deal with suspected bandits.