Residents of Shanono Local Government Area in Kano State are reeling from repeated attacks by armed bandits, believed to be crossing from neighboring Katsina State. Alhaji Yahaya Bagobiri, leader of Farin-Ruwa community, pleaded with President Bola Tinubu and Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for urgent intervention, warning that the escalating violence is driving people to flee to Kano city and nearby towns.
The latest assaults hit last Tuesday and Wednesday, October 21 and 22, 2025, leaving several residents injured and over 40 cows stolen, along with other livestock and property. Bagobiri named Farin-Ruwa, Kuraku, Gorantuse, Saure, and Shadu as the hardest-hit areas, where fear now grips daily life. A resident, speaking anonymously to BBC Hausa, said the bandits have struck seven or eight times in the past two to three months, with losses including 800 to 1,000 cattle in the most recent raid. While no abductions occurred this time, previous attacks saw gunmen open fire at Farin-Ruwa’s market.
Shanono, 85 kilometers from Kano’s capital, borders Katsina’s bandit-prone Kankiya, Musawa, and Danja areas. The attacks threaten Kano’s reputation as a relatively peaceful state in Nigeria’s troubled North-West, raising fears that the region’s violence is spilling over. Locals suspect their livestock wealth makes them targets, turning a distant threat into a grim daily reality.
