A late-night assault on Yankamaye, a quiet farming community in Tsanyawa Local Government Area of Kano State, left one elderly woman dead and three other residents abducted after armed men stormed the village on Saturday.
The attackers, believed to be bandits operating in the region, reportedly rode into the community on motorcycles before abandoning them at the outskirts and advancing on foot to avoid raising suspicion.
Most villagers were asleep when gunfire erupted, triggering panic and confusion.
Police spokesperson Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa confirmed the incident and said a security team had been sent to track down the assailants.
“Our operatives are already on ground, and efforts to rescue the victims and stabilise the area are ongoing,” he told reporters.
Residents said the gunmen first targeted a home near the centre of the village.
A witness who requested anonymity recounted the emotional moment an elderly woman tried to shield her son from being taken.
“She begged them not to abduct him
“They ignored her and shot her before dragging the young man away, ” the witness said.
The attack did not end there. The bandits reportedly moved to another compound where they seized two women, one of whom is said to be related to the ward councillor.
As of late Sunday, police and local vigilante groups were conducting search operations through surrounding farmlands and forest routes believed to be escape paths for the attackers.
The community remained tense as families await word on the kidnapped victims.
Yankamaye, like several rural settlements in the northwestern region, has recently faced sporadic incursions by armed groups, heightening fears among residents who depend largely on farming and night-time security patrols.
