Katsina Tensions: Funtua Chairman Holds Talks with Armed Groups

KATSINA — The Chairman of Funtua Local Government Area, Hon. Abdu Goya, has launched a peace outreach to armed Fulani groups who have agreed to a truce with local Hausa communities, as part of efforts to consolidate ongoing peace initiatives.

The visit, which took place across parts of Funtua, aims to deepen dialogue, rebuild trust, and foster mutual understanding between the warring communities, sources told SaharaReporters. Goya also used the occasion to call for the release of individuals abducted during previous conflicts.

“The purpose of the visit is to deepen the peace process already initiated between the armed Fulani and Hausa communities,” a source close to the chairman said.

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Context: Rising Insecurity and Tensions

Goya’s outreach comes amid heightened diplomatic pressure, following a warning from United States President Donald Trump, designating Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” over insecurity.

The region has seen a series of violent attacks despite existing peace agreements. SaharaReporters previously reported that two community leaders were killed and several residents abducted on Thursday when bandits attacked Doguwar Dorawa, a farming community near Guga in Bakori Local Government Area.

Community sources said the attackers killed brothers Alhaji Bishir and Alhaji Surajo in cold blood around 10pm, despite the existing truce between the communities and the bandits. The assailants reportedly arrived on motorcycles, left them hidden in the bush, and moved on foot to avoid detection, looting, killing, and abducting residents for over an hour.

“They were killed in cold blood,” said community leader Mahadi Danbinta Guga.

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Bandit Activity Across the Region

The attackers are believed to be loyalists of Idi Abasu Aiki and Kwashen Garwa, two notorious bandit leaders operating in Bakori and surrounding areas.

While Doguwar Dorawa was targeted, Layin ‘Yannehu was simultaneously raided, with bandits rustling several animals. Similar attacks have recently occurred in Ganjar, Alhazawa, and Gidan Nagari, resulting in over 40 people abducted and multiple families displaced.

The recent surge in violence underscores the fragility of peace agreements and the urgency of Goya’s ongoing peace outreach in Funtua LGA.