A group of rebels allied with the government are returning from a funeral when militants opened fire in Katsina state.
At least 21 government-sponsored terrorists have been killed in a terrorist ambush in North West of Katsina State in Nigeriaaccording to government officials.
Police spokesman in Katsina, Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, told AFP news agency on Saturday that a group of rebels affiliated with the government were returning to pay condolences to the family of their comrade who died after being attacked by bandits in Baure village, Safana state. .
“Unfortunately, 21 people were shot dead as a result of the attack,” Aliyu said, adding that the police wanted to “ensure that the perpetrators of the attack are arrested, which happened on Tuesday.
However, witnesses told Nigeria's Premium Times newspaper that about 25 people were killed in the attack, while many villagers are missing.
Nigerian newspaper The Guardian reported that the fighters belonged to the Katsina Community Watch Corps (KCWC).
The newspaper also quoted Aliyu as saying that the police had been sent to the scene of the attack to help restore order.
Katsina is one of several areas in the north-west and central part of Nigeria where there are bandits who are taking over villages, killing and abducting the residents and burning and looting their homes.
In June 2024, at least 7 people were killed and 100 abducted when insurgents attacked villagers in the state.
The insurgents, who maintain camps in the vast jungles of Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna and Niger states, have become notorious for the kidnapping of many students in recent years.
Boko Haram in Nigeria they have also committed acts of terrorism and extortion in the state.
In 2023, the Governor of Katsina State, Dikko Umar Radda, established the KCWC with about 2,000 members to support the military and police in the fight against insurgency.