In the early hours of Saturday, April 18, 2020, gunmen raided villages in the northwestern Nigerian state of Katsina and murdered 47 people.

Pulse understands that most of the villagers were murdered in their sleep.

The Katsina police command admitted in a statement afterwards that “armed bandits”, some of whom wielded AK 47 guns, carried out the attacks.

The incident occurred in three local government areas in the state in the early hours of Saturday between 12:30 a.m. and around 3 a.m., Katsina police added in its statement.

Katsina is the home state of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“There were reports of organised and simultaneous attacks in villages in Danmusa, Dutsenma and Safana by groups of armed bandits,” the police statement said of some of the attacks.

“Detachments of Police, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Airforce, Civil Defence and DSS (Department of State Services) have been drafted to the area,” it added.

Adding to security challenges

In the wake of the attacks, President Buhari called on Nigerians not to despair because his "administration is ever determined to defeat and crush these criminal elements taking advantage of the lockdown to attack their victims.”

The president also warned that his administration will not tolerate this large scale killing of innocent people by bandits or terrorists. “In line with my commitment to the security of the people, these attacks will be met with decisive force,” Buhari promised. 

Criminal gangs have perpetrated robberies and kidnappings in northwest Nigeria for as long as anyone can remember, killing hundreds.

The attacks have added to security challenges in Africa’s most populous country.

Nigeria is still grappling with terrorism in the northeast and communal violence over grazing rights in central states.

The president has often vowed to end the killings.