The Nigeria Police Force has foiled separate banditry and cattle rustling attacks in Katsina State, recovering two AK-47 rifles, ammunition and 70 rustled animals.
Police spokesman DSP Abubakar Sadiq-Aliyu disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday in Katsina.
He said the operations were conducted under the command of Commissioner of Police Ali Umar-Fage, with support from other security agencies and local vigilantes.
Sadiq-Aliyu said the first incident occurred on Monday at about 5 p.m. in Danya Bakwai, Jibia Local Government Area, where about 10 armed bandits on motorcycles invaded a Fulani settlement and rustled 20 cows and 40 sheep.
“Following a distress call, the Divisional Police Officer mobilised an Armoured Personnel Carrier patrol team to the scene,” he said.
The joint team, comprising police, military, Katsina State Community Watch Corps and local vigilantes, blocked the bandits’ escape routes and engaged them in a gun duel. The suspects abandoned the animals and fled.
All 20 cows and 40 sheep were successfully recovered, and normalcy has returned to the community.
On Tuesday morning, operatives responded to another distress call in Gwarjo Village, Matazu Local Government Area. They engaged suspected bandits in a gun battle, forcing them to retreat.
The team later advanced to Dangani Village in Musawa, a known criminal hideout, where another exchange of gunfire occurred. Several suspects escaped with gunshot injuries.
The operatives recovered two AK-47 rifles, six empty magazines, 42 rounds of live ammunition, a new TVS motorcycle, a GSM handset and two military jackets.
Sadiq-Aliyu said surveillance and patrols had been intensified to apprehend the fleeing suspects.
The Commissioner of Police commended the officers and supporting security teams for their courage and coordination, reaffirming the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property.
Umar-Fage urged residents to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies.
