Terrorists Raid Katsina Community, Abduct 20 Residents in Night Attack on Unguwar Daudu Despite Ongoing Peace Deals

Terrorists have launched a deadly night raid on Unguwar Daudu community in Dukke Ward of Funtua Local Government Area, Katsina State, abducting no fewer than 20 residents and injuring two others. The attack occurred on Sunday night, January 4, 2026, when heavily armed assailants stormed the rural community, spreading fear and chaos among residents.

A Katsina-based security expert, Malam Bakatsine, confirmed the incident, noting that the attack happened despite multiple peace agreements recently brokered between local authorities and armed groups operating in the area. Funtua Local Government is among several parts of Katsina State that have witnessed persistent banditry, including kidnappings, killings, and mass displacement of residents.

The incident comes amid a surge of violent attacks across Katsina. SaharaReporters had earlier reported a separate assault on Naino village in Naalma Ward of Malumfashi Local Government Area, where bandits killed two people and injured six others during an early morning attack on January 1, 2026. Security sources said the attackers entered the village from the Musawa axis at about 6:30 a.m., firing sporadically and causing widespread panic.

Following the attacks, joint security forces were deployed to affected areas, with blockades established along suspected escape routes and cordon-and-search operations launched to track down the perpetrators. The injured victims from the Malumfashi attack were taken to Malumfashi General Hospital, where two were confirmed dead on arrival, while others are receiving treatment.

The renewed violence has heightened concerns over the effectiveness of peace deals and security measures in Katsina State, as communities continue to face repeated attacks despite assurances of improved security.

Bandits Attack Katsina Community on New Year Day, Kill Three Residents Despite Reported Peace Deal, Raising Fresh Security Concerns in Northwest Nigeria

Suspected bandits launched a deadly early-morning attack on Unguwar Naino community in Na’alma ward of Malumfashi Local Government Area, Katsina State, on New Year’s Day, January 1, 2026, killing at least three residents and injuring several others. The assault occurred barely days after a reported peace agreement in the area, shattering hopes of an end to recurring violence.

Local sources said the attackers stormed the community at dawn, firing sporadically and forcing residents to flee their homes in panic. The injured were rushed to nearby health facilities for treatment, while fear spread across surrounding villages. The attack was first reported publicly by Katsina-based social media commentator @DanKatsna50, who questioned the effectiveness of peace deals without sustained security presence and intelligence-led operations.

Katsina State remains one of the epicentres of banditry in Nigeria’s northwest, with rural communities frequently targeted despite repeated negotiations and peace initiatives with armed groups. The latest incident has reignited public debate over the viability of peace agreements in the absence of consistent security operations and long-term strategies to protect vulnerable communities.

Efforts by SaharaReporters to obtain a response from the Katsina State Police Command were unsuccessful, as the spokesperson, DSP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, neither answered calls nor responded to messages seeking official reaction to the attack.

Nationwide alert: FG warns of five-day flooding in 19 states
6th August 2025.

The Federal Government has forecasted heavy rainfall over a five-day period that may trigger flooding across 19 states and 76 locations.

The warning, issued on Tuesday by the National Flood Early Warning Systems Centre of the Federal Ministry of Environment, called on stakeholders and residents to take urgent precautionary measures.

This comes as devastating floods struck Ogun and Gombe states on Tuesday, with other states including Lagos, Plateau, Anambra, and Delta also affected by the disaster.

According to the centre’s flood prediction obtained by our correspondent, the affected areas are expected to experience rainfall likely to cause flooding from August 5 to August 9, 2025.

The predicted states and locations are Akwa-Ibom (Edor, Eket, Ikom, Oron, Upenekang); Bauchi (Tafawa-Balewa, Azare, Jama’are, Kari, Misau, Jama’a); Ebonyi (Abakaliki, Echara, Ezilo); Cross-River (Ogoja Edor, Obubra); Nasarawa (Keana, Keffi, Wamba); Benue (Agaku, Buruku, Gboko, Igumale, Ito, Katsina-Ala, Ugba, Vande-Ikya); Kaduna (Jaji, Kafancha, Birnin-Gwari, Zaria) and Katsina (Bindawa, Bakori, Daura, Funtua).

Others are Kebbi (Bagudo, Birnin-Kebbi, Bunza, Gwandu, Jega, Kalgo, Kamba, Kangiwa, Shanga, Ribah, Sakaba, Saminaka, Yelwa, Gauri-Banza); Kano (Bebeji, Gezawa, Gwarzo, Kano, Karaye, Tundun-wada, Wudil, Kunchi); Niger (Kontagora, Rijau, Ringim); Plateau (Mangu); Taraba (Donga, Takum); Jigawa (Diginsa, Gumel, Dutse, Gwaram, Hadejia, Miga); Yobe (Machina, Potiskum); Zamfara (Anka); Sokoto (Sokoto, Wamakko); Borno (Biu); and Gombe (Bajoga).

Flooding in Nigeria has become a yearly occurrence that claims lives and destroys many properties. Last year, 31 states were reportedly affected by flooding, causing hundreds of deaths, injuring thousands of others and affecting 1.2 million.

On September 10, 2024 the Alau Dam collapsed, causing floods in Borno State, killing at least 150 people, displacing 419,000 others and causing the community to submerge 70 per cent.

Residents flee as gunmen attack Tor-Donga community in Benue state.

Panic has gripped Tor-Donga, a community in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State, following a deadly attack by suspected gunmen in the early hours of Friday.

Witnesses said the heavily armed attackers invaded the area, shooting sporadically and forcing residents to flee their homes in search of safety.


The assault reportedly left several people injured, while many others remain missing as families scatter in the chaos.

Local sources said the gunmen stormed the community on motorcycles and began firing indiscriminately, causing mass panic.

“People were running in all directions. We abandoned our homes and properties; everyone just wanted to stay alive,” a resident who escaped the attack recounted.

As of the time of filing this report, security operatives had yet to fully take control of the area.

Mpox outbreak hits Benue 5 LGAs, records 31 suspected cases, confirms 7.

Mpox outbreak hits Benue 5 LGAs, records 31 suspected cases, confirms 7
Makurdi—Benue State has recorded 31 suspected cases of Mpox across five Local Government Areas (LGAs) — Makurdi, Ushongo, Gwer East, Katsina-Ala, and Guma.

The Executive Secretary of the Benue State Primary Health Care Board, Mrs. Grace Wende, disclosed this on Thursday during the Benue State Stakeholders Engagement/Townhall Meeting on the Mpox Vaccination Rollout. She explained that seven of the suspected cases had been confirmed.

Represented by the State Immunization Officer (SIO), Mr. Emmanuel Adega, she said 10 unconfirmed cases were recorded in Makurdi, eight in Katsina-Ala, seven in Gwer East, four in Guma, and two in Ushongo LGAs.

According to her, “Of the figures, we have confirmed one case in Gwer East, two cases in Katsina-Ala, three cases in Makurdi, and one case in Guma LGAs. These cases were recorded in June, and samples were collected and taken to the laboratory. The results were released in July.

“As we speak, we have line-listed all the people who came in contact with the confirmed cases. Their names have been taken for vaccination after monitoring them for 43 days, and they did not come down with the disease.”

The Executive Secretary explained that the upcoming Mpox vaccination exercise would not be a statewide programme but restricted to communities at risk of an outbreak.

She urged all stakeholders to support the vaccination exercise and ensure prompt reporting of any suspected case of the disease for urgent attention by health authorities.

In his presentation, the Social and Behaviour Change Health Consultant with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Victor Olaniyi, noted that “Mpox is an infectious viral disease that can occur in humans and other animals.”
He stated that symptoms of the disease include rashes that form blisters and then crust over, fever, and swollen lymph nodes.

POPULAR NIGERIAN GOSPEL SINGER IS DEAD.

Popular gospel singer Israel Terhemba Ikyereve, known by his stage name New Jerusalem, is dead.
He passed away at the age of 53.

News of his death has sparked widespread mourning across Benue State, particularly within the Christian community, where he was revered for transforming Tiv Swange music into a powerful medium for spreading the gospel.

Former Governor of Benue State, Chief Samuel Ortom, led tributes to the late gospel icon during a condolence visit to his residence in Makurdi. Accompanied by members of the Brethren Prayer Group, Ortom described Ikyereve as a devoted Christian whose music resonated far beyond Nigeria’s borders.

“His songs touched my heart as a lover of Christ,” Ortom said. “That attraction led me to seek a personal relationship with him, which began a lasting bond with his family.”

The former governor recounted witnessing the late singer’s music featured in an international programme in Australia, where a Tiv man was teaching music while New Jerusalem’s songs played in the background.

According to Ortom, this was a clear testament to the global impact of Ikyereve’s gospel ministry.

He offered prayers for the bereaved family and pledged his continued support to them and the New Jerusalem Gospel Music Troupe, promising not to abandon them after the burial.

Speaking on behalf of the family, Hon. Iorshagher Ikyereve, the elder brother of the deceased, expressed heartfelt gratitude to Ortom for his unwavering support throughout the late singer’s illness and beyond.

He also disclosed that one of Israel’s sons was named “Ortom” in honour of the former governor’s compassionate involvement in their lives.

Prayers were also led by Rev. Pastor Tor Ujah and Dr Joseph Antyo, both leaders of the Brethren Prayer Group.

The late gospel artist is survived by his wife, fellow gospel singer Deborah Msendoo Ikyereve, four children, and several relatives.

His burial is scheduled for Saturday, July 5, 2025, at Sati Agirigi, Mbamo, Shitile, in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State.