Witnesses said the attackers spent several hours in the settlement, preventing people from finding safe refuge and carrying off a large number of cattle. "Five residents were killed and four others injured, while a large number of cattle were rustled," a report by Bakatsine on X said.
The raid has intensified fears across Kebbe LGA after reports that, only days earlier, bandits imposed a ₦40 million levy on residents of Kebbe town. The back-to-back incidents underline growing pressure on communities from armed groups and a widening pattern of violence and extortion.
Local leaders and residents are calling on security agencies to move quickly to secure Girkau and neighbouring settlements, a demand that highlights the immediate need to restore safe access to homes, farmland and markets. The prolonged presence of the attackers in the village has raised particular alarm about the ability of local security arrangements to deter repeat strikes.
The loss of life and the theft of cattle also carry economic consequences for households that depend on livestock for income and food security. Rustling compounds trauma with longer-term financial shocks, increasing the risk of displacement as affected families search for safer areas.
The situation in Kebbe remains volatile and residents say they need an urgent security response to prevent further attacks and to recover stolen animals. Until authorities deploy resources or provide effective protection, neighbouring communities continue to face heightened insecurity and growing demands from armed groups.
