Ops Puff Adder: Police engage 300 bandits in a gun duel in Katsina

A Team of ’Operation Puff Adder’ led by the Division Police Officer, for Safana local government Area, Katsina State, on Saturday night, engaged a group of bandits numbering 300 on motorcycles armed with dangerous weapons who invaded and attacked Kirtawa village, in a gun battle, following distress call from victims in the neighboring villages.

A statement signed by the Public Relations Officer for Katsina State Police Command, SP Gambo Isah, said the DPO of Safana led the teams of Operations “Puff Adder” and Sharan-Daji to the scene and engaged the hoodlums in a gun duel.

He said, “In the process the hoodlums shot the tires of the police Armored Personnel Vehicle and injured one Army and one Civil Defense personnel.

“At the time the combined ground forces were mobilized into the village that the hoodlums had already operated and escaped into the forest.

Ten (10) persons were found dead, five (5) injured, five (5) motor vehicles and four (4) motorcycles were set ablaze.

He further disclosed that an unspecified number of cows were rustled by the hoodlums, adding further that the command’s preliminary investigations on the matter revealed that it was a reprisal attack carried out by the hoodlums against the community.

He assured that Joint security forces have been deployed to the area to arrest the situation, pursue and arrest the fleeing hoodlums.

He said’’ The Command commiserates with families of the deceased and the entire people of Katsina state over the unfortunate incident.

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

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