KANO, Nigeria — Tension has gripped parts of Kano State following a violent midnight attack on Sundu and Biresawa villages in Sanyawa Local Government Area on 24 November 2025, where armed men stormed the communities, abducted more than 20 women and girls, and killed several male residents. As of the time of this report, neither the police nor the state government has issued any official statement, leaving residents anxious and uncertain about the response efforts underway.
Residents who survived the attack described how the attackers arrived shortly after midnight, moving swiftly through the two villages while many families were asleep. Witness accounts indicate that they rode in groups on motorcycles, forcing their way into homes, rounding up women and girls, and shooting sporadically as men attempted to flee. Many families escaped into surrounding farmlands and bushes, and several people remain missing.
Community members say the scale of the assault has left both villages traumatised. People are afraid to return to their homes, and some households have begun relocating to nearby towns. Those who stayed behind reported that the attackers looted food items and destroyed property before escaping toward remote routes leading out of the LGA. Local youth volunteers have been searching the area since daybreak, but their efforts have been limited due to fear of renewed attacks.
Despite the severity of the incident, there has been no official briefing from law enforcement agencies. Local security personnel have been seen conducting informal patrols, but residents insist that no coordinated rescue mission or investigative team has been visibly deployed. Families of the abducted victims say they feel “abandoned” and are calling for urgent intervention from the authorities. Without an official statement, confusion continues to spread about the government’s next steps, the number of casualties, and the possible whereabouts of the abducted women and girls.
The attack comes amid a worrying rise in insecurity across several northern states. Community leaders and civil society groups warn that rural communities have become increasingly vulnerable due to reduced local policing capacity and the expanding reach of armed networks operating across state lines. In recent months, similar incidents—particularly those involving the abduction of women and girls—have been reported in different regions, raising concerns about a shift in the tactics of armed groups who appear to be targeting soft, unprotected communities.
While some residents express fears that Christian communities in certain areas of the North have faced growing threats, independent analysts caution that such claims require careful verification. What remains clear, however, is that these attacks are occurring within a broader landscape of insecurity driven by criminal gangs, extremist elements, economic desperation, and longstanding governance gaps. Analysts say this mix of conflict drivers has created a dangerous environment in which violent actors are able to move with little resistance.
Security researchers in Abuja note that the latest attack in Kano echoes a pattern observed in several northern states: late-night raids on farming communities, mass abductions, and killings targeting local men who resist or attempt to protect their families. They warn that attacks on villages previously considered relatively safe indicate a widening security vacuum and a growing confidence among armed groups who face limited deterrence.
As villagers await updates about their missing loved ones, community elders are appealing for immediate intervention from national and state authorities, as well as humanitarian support for displaced families. Many locals say they are living in fear and uncertainty, unsure whether the attackers will return or whether the government plans to deploy more security personnel to protect the area.
With no official statement so far from the Kano State Police Command or the federal government, residents of Sundu and Biresawa say they feel caught between grief, fear, and frustration. They insist that immediate action is needed—not just to locate the kidnapped victims, but to prevent further attacks on vulnerable communities already struggling with worsening poverty and instability.
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