No fewer than 30 people were killed on Tuesday as bandits launched coordinated attacks on rural communities in Katsina and Kwara states, setting homes and vehicles ablaze and forcing residents to flee for safety.

In Katsina State, at least 20 villagers were killed when armed men stormed Doma community in Tafoki Ward, Faskari Local Government Area. Residents said the attackers arrived unhindered, shooting indiscriminately before burning houses and vehicles and fleeing the area.

Confirming the incident, the chairman of Faskari LGA, Surajo Aliyu, described the assault as a reprisal attack and the deadliest recorded in the area in months.

This is a reprisal attack, and it is a deadly one indeed. We have not witnessed anything like this in the last five months,” Aliyu said.

He added that although security agencies were alerted, they could not reach the community before the killings occurred.

“They killed at least 20 people and burnt houses and vehicles. Sadly, security operatives arrived after the attack had been carried out,” he said.

The victims’ bodies have been evacuated for burial scheduled for Wednesday morning. Faskari was among the local councils that entered a truce with bandits about five months ago, a move that had brought relative calm until this latest violence.

Efforts to obtain a reaction from the Katsina State Police Command were unsuccessful as calls to the police spokesperson went unanswered.

Meanwhile, in Kwara State, bandits killed at least 10 villagers during attacks on Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area on Tuesday evening.

The attackers, believed to be operating from the Borgu National Park forest in neighbouring Niger State, invaded the communities around 6:00 pm, firing sporadically and setting several houses on fire.

A community leader, who requested anonymity, confirmed the casualties, saying residents were still searching for people who fled into nearby bushes.

Reacting, the Kwara State Government condemned the killings, with Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq describing the attack as a cowardly response to ongoing security operations.

The governor extended condolences to the affected families and assured residents that security agencies had been directed to intensify operations to prevent further attacks. As of the time of filing this report, the Kwara State Police Command had yet to issue a formal statement.