A gun duel between a combined team of vigilante and police against bandits at Gurbi village in Kankara LGA has led to the death of 21 persons.
Among the dead were 17 bandits and four locals, Daily Trust learnt.
Locals say the bandits stormed the town in the early hours of Thursday shooting sporadically but the locals stood up against them, leading to shoot out. Security operatives later joined in.
Confirming the incident, the spokesman of the state police command, SP Gambo Isah said ” at about 03:00hrs, a distress call was received that bandits in their numbers armed with AK 47 rifles stormed Gurbi village, Kankara LGA of Katsina state were they killed four persons and rustled large number of domestic animals.”
He said the attack was met with a fierce resistance by the local vigilante groups who later called for support and assistance from the police.
” Consequent upon which, the Commissioner of Police, Sanusi Buba, directed DPO Kankara Division to lead Operation Puff Adder in collaboration with vigilante groups to the scene. The bandits were engaged in a shootout along with some vigilante members.
” The team succeeded and killed seventeen 17 suspected bandits and recovered 80 cows, 108 sheep and a donkey from the hoodlums earlier carted away from the community and other neighbouring villages,” he said.
During the attack, he said, the bandits killed Alh. Sanusi, Akilu Isuhu, Nana Husaini, and Muntari Sama’ila all of Kankara LGA of Katsina state while three other persons sustained injuries.
“Some of the bandits managed to escape with gun shots wounds. Operatives are combing the nearby bushes for arrest of the fleeing bandits and recovery of their operational weapons and Investigation is ongoing,” he added.
