Displacement, Hunger and Fragile Peace Deals Continue to Disrupt Rural Life
By Zaharaddeen Ishaq Abubakar
KATSINA TIMES — 15 August 2025
Despite optimism in parts of Katsina State over peace accords reached with armed groups in some communities, a special investigation has revealed that several local government areas (LGAs) remain plagued by attacks, mass displacement, and worsening hunger.
Reports by Premium Times, Reuters, and AllAfrica indicate that from late July to mid-August 2025, rural insecurity persisted despite increased security deployments and peace agreements.
Faskari, Kankara, and Matazu top the list of LGAs suffering frequent assaults, forcing residents to abandon their homes. At the end of July, coordinated raids in Bakori and Faskari displaced over 5,000 people from villages including Guga, Kandarawa, and Gidan Sule. Witnesses described abductions, destruction of crops, and cattle rustling.
In Dutsinma, gunmen kidnapped two villagers before residents apprehended and killed one of the attackers. Despite intensified patrols, remote settlements remain exposed.
On 11 August, Safana signed a peace pact with armed groups in Gemi Forest, granting farmers, herders, and local residents the freedom to work without harassment. The agreement also promised repairs to schools, hospitals, and boreholes. However, community leaders warned that without close monitoring, the accord could collapse.
While Jibia, Batsari, Danmusa, Katsina, Batagarawa, Charanci, Bindawa, Ingawa, Kafur, and Danja enjoy relative calm, Malumfashi, Kurfi, Dutsinma, Kankia, Musawa, Bakori, Matazu, Funtua, Sabuwa, and Dandume remain in a state of fragile peace, with sporadic attacks reported.
Over the past two years, more than 100 members of the Community Watch Corps, over 30 police officers, and several soldiers have been killed in clashes with armed groups, according to Katsina State’s Commissioner for Internal Security.
The humanitarian situation is worsening.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reports that at least 652 children died of malnutrition in Katsina during the first half of 2025 — a 208% increase from 2024. Experts blame reduced farming activity and blocked trade routes caused by ongoing violence.
Security Assessment of LGAs:
High Risk: Faskari, Kankara, Matazu
Displacement Hotspots: Bakori, Faskari, Dutsinma
Moderate Threat: Malumfashi, Kurfi, Dutsinma, Kankia, Musawa, Bakori, Funtua, Sabuwa, Dandume
Low Risk: Danmusa, Katsina, Batagarawa, Charanci, Bindawa, Ingawa, Kafur, Danja
Peace Accord Zones: Safana, Batsari, Jibia
Security experts recommend deploying more security forces to rural areas, introducing independent monitors to ensure peace deal compliance, combining food aid with protective measures, expanding and insuring Community Watch Corps operations, and publishing monthly security reports to restore public trust.
