Police confirm 10 people killed, five injured by bandits in Katsina State community

The Katsina State Police Command yesterday confirmed that 10 people were killed following an attack by bandits on Kirtawa Village in Safana Local Council of the state. The incident, which occurred on Saturday evening at about 5:20 p.m. and said to have lasted for several hours, also left five people injured.

The Guardian learnt that during the attack, the bandits were said to have set ablaze five motor vehicles and four motorcycles, and had rustled several animals. A spokesman for the command, Superintendent of Police (SP) Gambo Isah, who confirmed the incident, said the bandits were 300 in number and were out on reprisal attack on the community. He, however, said that security operatives made an effort to repel the attack, but that a soldier and a civil defence corps officer were injured in the process.

According to him, “a group of bandits numbering 300 on motorcycles armed with dangerous weapons invaded and attacked Kirtawa Village in Safana Local Council of Katsina State.“DPO of Safana initially led teams of Operation Puff Adder and Sharan Daji to the scene and engaged the hoodlums in a gun duel.

“In the process, the hoodlums shot the tyres of the police armoured personnel vehicle and injured one army and civil defence personnel.“At the time the combine ground forces were mobilised into the village, the hoodlums had already operated and escaped into the forest. “Ten persons were found dead, five injured, five motor vehicles and four motorcycles were set ablaze.

“Unspecified cows were also rustled by the hoodlums. “It is ostensibly clear that it was a reprisal attack carried out by the hoodlums against the community.“Joint security forces have been deployed to the area to arrest the situation, pursue and arrest the fleeing hoodlums. “The command commiserates with families of the deceased and the entire people of Katsina State over the unfortunate incident”

“The command also assures the people that government and security forces are mapping out formidable strategies towards containing and bringing to an end the menace of banditry in the state.”