Kurfi, Katsina State — Armed bandits attacked the Kurfi General Hospital in Kurfi Local Government Area of Katsina State, abducting four women, including the wife of a health official on duty, and injuring a hospital watchman.
The incident occurred at approximately 10:45 am, when three unarmed bandits entered the hospital premises. A source from the area reported that the watchman confronted them to inquire about their presence, leading to a heated exchange.
“The watchman quickly locked the hospital gate during the confrontation, not knowing that other armed members of the gang were waiting outside,” the source explained.
The assailants scaled the hospital’s fence and shot the watchman in the stomach. Initially believed to have succumbed to his injuries, he was given first aid and transferred to a hospital in Katsina for further treatment.
The bandits’ primary target was a hospital staff member, Mustapha Hamza, an anesthesia nurse, who was on call to attend to a patient scheduled for surgery. Mustapha managed to escape, but his wife, who had accompanied him to the hospital, was abducted.
A hospital source explained, “His wife usually follows him to work when he is called in for emergencies, as she feels uncomfortable staying at home alone. Unfortunately, she became a victim of this attack.”
Kurfi was previously considered a secure town, largely due to the efforts of a local vigilante group. However, the group disbanded, reportedly due to political disagreements among influential individuals in the area, leaving the town vulnerable to recent bandit attacks.
In a separate incident not long ago, a nursing mother and her twin children were kidnapped in Kurfi. While the mother and twins were released after a ransom of N3.5 million was paid, a third child, a four-year-old boy fondly known as AK, remains in captivity. The bandits have demanded an additional N1.5 million for his release.
Residents suspect that informants who recently moved to Kurfi when it was considered safer are responsible for aiding the bandits.
While security agencies have yet to issue an official statement, Kurfi council chairman, Mannir Shehu Wurma, confirmed the attack and assured the public that the council is addressing the situation.