Police battle bandits in Katsina, kill seven, foil attack on community – Official

The Katsina State Police Command said its operatives successfully foiled an attack by bandits on Ruwan Doruwa village in Dutsinma Local Government Area of Katsina State.

The police said seven suspected bandits were killed in the operation while 61 cows, 44 sheep, two donkeys, one goat, and one dog were recovered.

The Katsina police spokesperson, Sadiq Abubakar, said in a statement that the incident occurred on Saturday at about 9:00 a.m.

He said a distress call was received at the Dutsinma Divisional Police Headquarters that some suspected bandits, armed with dangerous weapons such as AK-47 rifles, attacked Ruwan Doruwa village.

Following the report, the police mobilised other security agencies and vigilantes and promptly visited the scene.

Upon arrival, the team engaged the bandits in a fierce gun battle, which resulted in the death of seven of them while the remaining fled the scene with various degrees of injuries, abandoning all the suspected rustled animals.

Mr Abubakar said the Commissioner of Police in Katsina, Aliyu Musa, commended the police operatives for their gallantry, valour, and professionalism. He reiterated the command’s commitment to ensuring the safety and security of members of the public.

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The police chief called on members of the public to continue to support the command by providing timely and useful information that will help the command in the ongoing fight against all forms of crime and criminality in the stat

Katsina is one of the Northwest states most affected by banditry in Nigeria. Thousands of people have been killed, kidnapped or displaced in recent years by the bandits who mainly operate in the rural areas of the state.