Police foil bandits’ attack, rescue five kidnapped victims in Katsina

Operatives of the Katsina State Police Command have foiled two attacks by bandits and rescued five kidnapped victims in Malumfashi Local Council of the state.

While confirming the development in a statement yesterday, the command’s spokesperson, ASP Abubakar Sadiq-Aliyu, said the police also neutralised two bandits.

He said: “On Sunday, a distress call was received at the Malumfashi Divisional police headquarters from Layin Minister Village that bandits attacked and kidnapped five people.

“Upon receipt of the report, operatives were quickly dispatched to the scene. On noticing the presence of the police operatives, the hoodlums opened fire, and the team responded gallantly.

“All the kidnapped victims were rescued unhurt, as the assailants succumbed to the superior firepower of the operatives and fled the scene with various degrees of bullet wounds.”

According to Sadiq, on the same date, another distress call was received at the same headquarters that some suspected armed bandits riding on 12 motorcycles, wielding dangerous weapons, were shooting sporadically.

“They took advantage of the downpour and attacked Marabar Kankara village in Malumfashi Council. On receipt of the information, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Malumfashi swiftly mobilised operatives to the scene, engaged the hoodlums in a fierce gun duel and successfully foiled the attack.

“In the course of scanning the scene, the bodies of two neutralised suspected armed bandits were recovered. Efforts are being intensified to ensure the arrest of the fleeing suspects as the investigation proceeds,” Sadiq-Aliyu said.