Despite a peace deal signed with bandit leaders and community heads of the Kwatangiri community in Funtua Local Government Area of Katsina State to halt persistent bandit attacks, two people have reportedly been killed after insurgents breached the agreement.
The armed men were said to have invaded the village without resistance before carrying out the attack, which included raiding residents’ homes and making away with valuables.
A security analyst, Bakatsine, disclosed the development on Friday via a post on his X account, noting that the assailants operated with little obstruction as they moved through the settlement.
The actions of the attackers, who fled the area after the incident, have raised questions among vulnerable community members who had believed that the dialogue between the insurgents and village leaders would bring relief from attacks.
“This incident shows that the so-called peace agreement has not changed anything for us,” a resident said. “People were told to relax, yet gunmen still came and killed our neighbours.”
Another community member lamented the absence of immediate intervention, saying fear now dominates daily life in the area.
“There was no timely security response. We felt abandoned when we needed protection the most,” the resident added.
Affected residents are now calling on the government to complement dialogue with visible security deployments, stressing that agreements without enforcement leave rural communities exposed.
The Guild reports that Katsina State remains a major hotspot of banditry in the North-West, with repeated attacks persisting despite negotiations, military operations, and assurances aimed at restoring stability.
