In Katsina, a newborn was to be named. Families gathered, neighbours came to eat and drink, and the air was filled with the laughter of children. But before the naming ceremony ended, 10 men were dead.
The reason? Bandits. Rival groups. A war for control.
Eyewitnesses say the clash started when a faction led by Muhammadu of Maharba village stormed the event, confronting Saimaila of Salihawa village and his gang. The naming ceremony became a battlefield.
By nightfall, Saimaila and nine of his fighters lay lifeless.
This was no ordinary attack — it was a message. In the fight for dominance in Katsina’s rural communities, even sacred occasions are no longer spared.
For villagers in Matazu LGA, the horror lingers. The cries of children from that night still echo.
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