Bandits Kidnap Ex-NYSC DG, Nine Others in Katsina

Major-General Maharazu Tsiga (rtd), a former Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), has been abducted by suspected bandits in Tsiga village, Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State. The retired senior officer was taken alongside nine other residents in a late-night attack on Wednesday.

Eyewitnesses reported that the assailants stormed the village around midnight, forcibly taking Tsiga and others. There are also unconfirmed reports that two people were killed during the incident.

As of the time of reporting, the Katsina State Police Command had not released an official statement, and its spokesperson, DSP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, had not responded to inquiries.

Katsina State remains one of the regions most affected by banditry in the North West. The abduction comes amid intensified efforts by the federal government to combat insecurity. Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, recently stated that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been pressing security agencies to find a lasting solution.

In a recent interview with BBC Hausa, Badaru disclosed that Tinubu has been demanding clear timelines from military leaders on ending the crisis. During a high-level meeting with the president, service chiefs reportedly assured him that major progress would be made by the end of the year.