•Clashes not political, says State Government

A fierce political clash involving supporters of the Katsina State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and alleged opposition party supporters has claimed the life of one person, with dozens of others injured.

The incident happened on Saturday, October 31, 2026, in Yankara, Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State, when some angry youths in the village blocked Governor Dikko Umar Radda’s convoy, which was heading to Faskari town for a political campaign.

Eyewitnesses and residents of Yankara, who narrated the cause of the clash, said it was a coincidence that the governor’s convoy was passing through the village while a procession of children celebrating Maulud was also on the highway.

They said some APC youths jumped out of their vehicles to control the crowd and ensure the convoy had a safe passage, a move they said angered opposition party supporters standing by the roadside.

A Nigerian Tribune correspondent in Katsina, who spoke with Saleh Bala, one of the residents of Yankara, gathered that after the governor’s vehicle had passed through the village, some youths began shouting and chanting, “Ba mu yi,” meaning “We are not supporting.”

According to the account, some APC supporters in the convoy allegedly engaged the youths, who were said to be opposition supporters, in a fierce fight, leading to the death of one person.

“Many people were injured as the APC political thugs used sticks, knives and machetes during the scuffle. They looted shops, POS centres and mobile phone charging centres,” Saleh said.

“It’s alleged that the APC thugs, whom we realised were well prepared for this eventuality, broke into people’s houses, where they destroyed properties.

“They destroyed innocent people’s cars and properties. The car you see that has been set on fire is an APC campaign vehicle. So many cars in the convoy were also damaged. It’s unfortunate,” Malam Saleh said.

It would be recalled that a similar incident happened just three days ago in the Malumfashi area of Katsina State when Governor Dikko Umar Radda’s convoy was heading to Funtua, where he kicked off his re-election campaign.

The APC condemned what it described as the attack in Malumfashi, while the police also announced the arrest of 14 people in connection with the incident.

However, The Katsina State Government has dismissed reports linking the incident to Governor Dikko Radda’s Tinubu-Dikko 2027 campaign, describing such claims as false and misleading.

In a statement, the government said preliminary findings showed that the disturbance stemmed from a disagreement between participants in a Maulud procession and security personnel over designated procession routes, resulting in confusion along a public street in Yankara.

It stressed that the incident was entirely unrelated to thegovernor’s campaign activities or the Tinubu-Dikko campaign rally held in Faskari.

According to the government, Governor Radda passed through Yankara without incident on his way to Faskari, where he paid a courtesy visit to the District Head’s Palace and was received by the district head and other traditional rulers.

The governor, it said, later proceeded to the Faskari Local Government secretariat, where he inspected ongoing renovation works at the secretariat and council chambers before attending the campaign rally and interacting with residents and supporters.

Governor Dikko Radda addresses a crowd of supporters at the Tinubu-Dikko 2027 campaign in Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State on October 31, 2026.

The state government urged relevant security agencies to carry out a thorough investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and ensure that those responsible are identified where necessary.

In the statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ibrahim Mohammed, the government appealed to residents to remain calm, uphold peace, and avoid spreading unverified information capable of causing unnecessary tension. (Pieced together from reports by Nigerian Tribune and Channels TV)