Residents of communities in Batsari Local Government of Katsina State He said the terrorists continued to launch attacks against them and kidnapped 19 people in the village of Madogara on Sunday.
Most of those abducted were women, residents said.
Batsari shares borders with the feared Rugu Forest, where the terrorists are alleged to have several camps.
In the night attack, 16 women and three men were kidnapped. Residents said many of those abducted were with children, some of whom are as young as one year old.
“Madogara is gradually turning into a ghost town,” a health official who works in the town of Batsari but is from the town told Newslodge by phone. He sought anonymity for security reasons.
“Residents with houses on the edge of the community’s cars converge on three houses in the center of town every night before returning to their respective houses in the morning.”
The source said that when the terrorists attacked, they went to one of the houses where the residents, mostly women, gather to spend the night. She said they were careful not to shoot to avoid attracting the attention of security agents stationed in nearby communities, especially in Nahuta.
“My sister and her two children were kidnapped in that attack,” Sadiq Hamisu said. “We had just finished night (Isha’i) prayer, so the terrorists caught us off guard because they hardly come this early.”
Another source, Aminu Lawal, said that some of his relatives were among those abducted.
“My uncle’s wife, a friend’s wife, and an aunt. All of them were kidnapped with their children. We have counted nineteen people who have been kidnapped. They (the terrorists) have not yet called us to negotiate,” Lawal said by phone.
He lamented that security has aggravated his economic problems, as most residents cannot freely access their farmland or frequent local markets.
When he contacted the Katsina state police spokesman, Abubakar Sadik, he asked for some time to verify the information and get back to this reporter, but he did not do so for more than three hours. A message sent to him as a reminder was not responded to.
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Batsari is witnessing an increase in the number of attacks which local residents say is due to the rainy season.
Two weeks ago, several peasants were kidnapped by terrorists in the area. The captured farmers were from the villages of Nahuta, Madogara, Dan Tsuntsu, Zamfarawa and Salihar Dadare.
They are still brand new.
Terrorists operating in the northwest, especially in the states of Zamfara, Katsina and Sokoto, have been known to intensify attacks during the rainy season, which residents believe forces local authorities to dialogue with them.
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