Bandits launched an attack on Kurfi General Hospital in the Kurfi local government area of Katsina State, shooting a watchman and abducting four women, including the wife of a health official on duty.
According to a report by Daily Trust, three unarmed bandits entered the hospital around 10:45 AM and were confronted by the guardsman, who questioned their purpose.
“As the argument escalated, the watchman quickly locked the hospital gate, unaware that other armed members of the gang were outside,” the source reported.
“They scaled the wall and shot the watchman in the stomach. Initially believed to be dead, he later received first aid and was rushed to a hospital in Katsina.”
The attackers intended to abduct Mustapha Hamza, a casual staff member at the hospital, but he managed to escape, though tragically, his wife, who had accompanied him, was taken.
“Mustapha is an anesthesia nurse on call at the time to assist with a scheduled surgery. His wife often accompanied him, as she was uncomfortable staying alone at home. That’s how she became a victim of the attack,” revealed a source who wished to remain anonymous.
Kurfi had previously been considered a fortified town, with bandits rarely breaching its defenses thanks to a local vigilante group supported by prominent community members.
However, the collapse of this vigilante group has now left residents vulnerable, with some attributing the decline to the political rivalries among influential figures in the area.
Just recently, a nursing mother was abducted along with her twin children, and another child, not older than four. A Kurfi resident informed Daily Trust that the kidnappers released the mother and the twins after a ransom of N3.5 million was paid, but the young boy, affectionately called AK, remains in captivity as the bandits are demanding an additional N1.5 million for his release.
Another Kurfi resident has pointed fingers at informants who moved into the area when it was safer as a contributing factor to the recent spikes in attacks.
While there has been no official statement from security agencies, Kurfi council chairman Mannir Shehu Wurma confirmed the incident, assuring the public that the council is addressing the situation.
