Bandits dressed in a ‘Hijab’ otherwise known as Abaya have kidnapped 26 persons mostly women and children in an attack on the Runka community of Safana Local Government Area, Katsina State.

Runka community is just a few kilometres away from the dreaded Rugu Forest which has over the years been harbouring criminals.

A source in the community said in a telephone call on Monday that the hoodlums invaded the area on Saturday night at about 10:00 p.m. He said the assailants shot sporadically in several places in the community.

He claimed that the attack was a result of the activities of bandit’s informants who are mostly residents of the community.

“The bandits killed nobody in the community except one person who was shot and injured after he attempted to run. As I am speaking to you, he has been hospitalised.

“They abducted at least 25 people because even among my relatives, twelve persons were kidnapped.

“There was no security personnel presence during the attack which lasted for hours until after the incident when an armored personnel carrier attached with some police personnel was deployed to patrol the area.

“The bandits stationed themselves everywhere in the community. They moved from house to house, breaking and burgling the entrances and taking the occupants to the forest.

“During the attack, one of the bandits was overheard having a telephone conversation with an unknown informant telling him that, ‘Today, we’ve come to your hometown’.”

Police authorities in Katsina State are yet to comment on the incident as the spokesman of the command Abubakar Sadiq did not respond to inquiries.

But the chairman of Safana Local Government Area Abdullahi said 22 persons were abducted though some have managed to escape.

“The DPO Safana has deployed and stationed his team alongside soldiers to the area and they have already commenced a rescue operation,” he stated. (Channels TV)