17 killed as bandits attack village in Katsina

Police in Katsina State have confirmed the death of 17 persons, including members of vigilante group and one police officer, when bandits attacked Diskuru village, Dandume Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.

Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer in Katsina, SP Gambo Isah, said the bandits were on a reprisal attack in the village and at least 12 persons were killed.

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“Yes, they attacked a village called Diskuru in Dandume Local Government Area, and it was a reprisal attack.

“Last week, the bandits came and they didn’t find it easy with the villagers, because about three of them (bandits) were killed.

“So, they went and regrouped and came back, they came over 200 of them on motorbikes, each carrying AK-47 rifle; they even came with a General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG)”, Isah has said.

He added that the bandits have killed as many as they could and set many houses ablaze.

He said the DPO of the local government learnt about the situation and called for reinforcement from the military, Operation Sahel Sanity.

“Based on the intelligence that we had, we learnt that the bandits were going to pass through a cattle route that went into Faskari LGA.

“So, we alerted the officers there and they laid siege on the hoodlums, and they fortunately ran into the siege,” he said.

He said, however, due to the large number of the bandits, they engaged in a gun duel with security operatives and forced themselves through the ambush.

“As a result of that, one of our security personnel lost his life and four of the vigilantes were killed by the bandits.

“Reinforcement from the Air force was sought and they came and followed after the bandits.

“The report I have here with me was that so many of them were killed by the fighter jets and our officers are still there combing the forest with the view to recover the copses of the bandits,” he said.