The Katsina State Government has announced a major security breakthrough after joint operatives of the Hunters and the Katsina State Community Watch Corps successfully repelled a large-scale bandit invasion of Guga Village in Bakori Local Government Area, neutralising more than 40 armed bandits, including several top commanders.
The attack occurred at about 5:40 p.m. on Sunday, July 26, 2026, when over 200 heavily armed bandits, led by the notorious kingpin Idi Abasu Aiki and supported by members of the Ado Aleru criminal group from neighbouring Zamfara State, stormed Guga Village in what authorities described as a reprisal attack.
According to intelligence reports obtained by security operatives, the attackers planned to overrun the local Hunters and the Community Watch Corps protecting the area before launching coordinated assaults on Bakori town and surrounding communities.
However, sustained intelligence gathering and surveillance by security agencies enabled the swift deployment of coordinated countermeasures, leading to a fierce gun battle that forced the attackers to retreat with heavy casualties.
The government disclosed that more than 40 bandits were neutralised during the operation, while follow-up intelligence confirmed the elimination of about eight senior commanders of the criminal network.
The notorious bandit leader, Idi Abasu Aiki, was also reported to have sustained life-threatening gunshot injuries during the encounter.
Officials said the latest victory builds on an earlier operation conducted on July 7, 2026, at Dawan Laila Village in Bakori Local Government Area, where the same criminal network suffered significant losses at the hands of the Hunters and the Community Watch Corps.
Sunday’s assault was described as a desperate attempt by the bandits to regain lost ground and dismantle the community-based security architecture established by the Katsina State Government.
Security operatives have since launched clearance operations across the area to recover abandoned weapons and other items left behind by the fleeing criminals. Surveillance has also been intensified to prevent any further attacks.
Despite the successful operation, the State Government expressed deep sorrow over the death of five members of the Hunters’ team, who were fatally shot after they were caught outside the frontline while attending to personal shopping activities during the operation.
The government described the fallen Hunters as courageous patriots who paid the ultimate sacrifice in defence of their communities and extended its condolences to their families.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Nasir Mu’azu Danmusa, said normalcy has been fully restored in the affected communities.
He reaffirmed the Katsina State Government’s commitment to sustaining collaborative security operations aimed at protecting lives and property across the state while intensifying efforts to dismantle criminal networks threatening peace and stability.