Over 100 heavily armed gunmen stormed the residence of retired Major General Maharazu Tsiga in his hometown of Tsiga, Bakori LGA, Katsina State, around 11:00 pm. They surrounded his house, forced their way in using explosives, and abducted him alongside nine other residents. The attack left two residents dead and at least two others injured.
3 Feb 2025 · Tsiga, Bakori, Katsina
Deaths
2
Injured
2
Kidnapped
10
Total casualties
4
Perpetrators
Bandits
Response
The Katsina State Police Command deployed officers to the scene but arrived after the gunmen had already fled with the hostages. The Katsina Elders Forum and civil society organizations called for federal intervention and intensified security efforts. The Nigerian government and military were involved in negotiations. The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and Katsina Elders Forum (KEF) urged the government to secure the general's release unharmed.
Displacement
0
Socioeconomic drivers
Weak security presence in Northwest Nigeria, enabling large-scale bandit operations to occur with impunity. The attackers arrived in a force of over 100 and succeeded despite police deployment
Trajectory
This incident reflects the growing audacity of kidnapping syndicates in Northwest Nigeria. The kidnappers breached a general's fortified residence using explosives, held him for nearly two months, and continued to demand additional money even after receiving ransom
Cycle notes
The abduction of General Maharazu Tsiga from his residence in Kankara LGA follows a recurring pattern of kidnappings that have targeted senior military officers and other high-profile figures across northern Nigeria. Related incidents include the abduction of the paramount ruler of Boggom, Alhaji Shehu Sulaiman, in Kanam LGA, Plateau State, on 20 April 2020, and the 26 December 2021 kidnapping of Chief Charles Mato, the Sum Pyem and paramount ruler of Gindiri in Mangu LGA, Plateau State. These high-profile cases occur alongside numerous mass abductions reported since 2020 in Katsina, Zamfara, Kaduna, Niger, and Sokoto states, underscoring armed groups’ sustained capacity to target both prominent individuals and vulnerable communities.
Pattern
Traditional ruler kidnapping
Related — Kidnapping
At least two miners, Gora Alhaji Mai-Mota and Gora Alhaji Mani (both residents of Ketaren-Kago village), were abducted by gunmen who stormed a mining site at Kangon-Inga village in Katako District, Rafi Local Government Area, Niger, at approximately 4:30 p.m.
Gunmen abducted the district head of Abejukolo in Omala LGA, Kogi .
Gunmen abducted three motorists along the Okene–Kabba road in Okehi Local Government Area, Kogi , on Monday night at about 10:00 pm. The armed men blocked the road with firewood, forcing vehicles to stop. The victims were identified as Salihu Salaudeen of Usugwe Estate, Shaibu Mohammed of Okene, and Ibrahim Muritala of Lagos. One of the victims' relatives, Salihu Abdulmumuni of Usugwe Estate, reported the incident to the police. Upon receiving the report, the Divisional Police Officer in Okehi mobilized patrol teams to the scene, where three vehicles were found abandoned, including a Dyna 200 vehicle with registration number LKJ 389 GYE. Three empty shells of live cartridges were recovered from the scene, while the vehicles were towed to the station for safekeeping.