By Reportcircle News
A deadly midnight incursion by armed bandits into a quiet farming settlement in Kano State has reignited national concern over rural security but also drew rare praise for the speed of Nigeria’s security response.
Bandits stormed Zurin Mahauta village in Lakwaya town, Gwarzo Local Government Area, late Sunday night, abducting five residents in a brazen cross-border-style attack believed to have been launched from neighbouring states.
By Monday afternoon, three of the victims had been rescued, following what officials described as a rapid and coordinated security operation.
Nigeria’s Deputy Senate President (DSP), Senator Barau I. Jibrin, moved quickly to commend the intervention, while issuing a firm call for the pursuit of the fleeing criminals and the immediate rescue of the remaining two captives.
“This invasion is condemnable, and these criminals must be dealt with forthwith,” Barau said in a statement released by his media adviser, Ismail Mudashir.
“The good news is that three of the five abducted persons have been rescued. Our gallant officers must go after these bandits and bring back the remaining victims.”
Security sources confirmed the development hours later.
In an online update published around 3 p.m. on Monday, Daily Trust quoted Captain Babatunde Zubairu, Assistant Director of Army Public Relations, 3 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, as confirming that three abductees had been successfully rescued.
The confirmation lent official weight to early reports of a swift counter-operation an outcome that has become increasingly rare in rural kidnapping incidents.
Beyond commendation, Senator Barau delivered a clear warning: Kano must not slide into the cycle of banditry that has devastated other parts of northern Nigeria.
“This unfortunate incursion must be the last,” he said. “For weeks, there have been no attacks in our area until last night. This peace must not be allowed to collapse.”
The Deputy Senate President urged security agencies to fortify vulnerable communities, intensify patrols, and sustain vigilance against roaming criminal networks seeking new footholds.
“The security of our people’s lives and properties is paramount,” he said, pledging continued logistical and institutional support to security agencies to boost their operational effectiveness.
The Lakwaya incident is shaping up as a test case in Nigeria’s wider battle to contain the geographic spread of banditry.
While much of the crisis has been concentrated in the North-West and parts of the North-Central, incursions into previously calm areas like Gwarzo raise fresh red flags for policymakers and security planners.
For now, the rescue of three victims offers a measure of relief.
But with two villagers still in captivity, pressure is mounting on security forces to close the operation decisively and on political leaders to ensure Kano does not become the next frontier of Nigeria’s bandit economy.
