- While 14 were killed in Katsina, one was killed in Kaduna
Bandits have continued their rampage in the Northwest region of the country as they killed 15 persons between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning in Katsina and Kaduna States.
While 14 were killed in Katsina, one was killed in Kaduna.
But the Nigeria Police on Wednesday paraded the bodies of three bandits killed during its operations.
Bandits have attacked Sabuwa town in Sabuwa LGA of Katsina State, killing 13 people and injuring others.
Sources said that the bandits came in reprisal attack they initially came and forcefully collected some cattle from children who were using them to carry sand on carts in the outskirts of the town.
The residents of the town then launched a counter-attack and retrieved many of the cattle but the bandits regrouped and invaded the town in over 100 motor cycles around 5:30 pm on Tuesday, shooting anybody they met.
Two of the people killed were buried on Tuesday while the remaining 11 were buried on Wednesday after funeral prayers at the Juma’a mosque in Sabuwa.
In a related incident, the bandits killed one Haruna Tsaunin Batsi and injured two other persons at Tsaunin Batsi village of Sayau ward also in Sabuwa LGA, Katsina State.
A resident of the village said the attackers came around 2 am on Wednesday.
He said the residents of Tsaunin Batsi and Dankurmi villages repelled the attack with Dane guns as a result of which no one was kidnapped by the bandits.
He then urged the authorities to deploy troops to Tashar Bawa village which, he said, was the only route bandits have not blocked in the area.
Meanwhile, in Kaduna, bandits on Tuesday night killed one person and injured two others at Kuyello community in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of the State.
Sources said that the bandits stormed the village around 6:30 pm on motorcycles, shooting sporadically when the villagers were preparing for Magrib prayers.
Some residents mobilized and along with Mobile Policemen stationed in the area, engaged the bandits forcing them to retreat into the forest.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Kaduna State, Assistant Superintendent of Police Mohammed Jalige, confirmed the attack but said those injured were taken to hospital including the Mobile Police personnel, for treatment.
He said efforts have been intensified to check the attacks as the Commissioner of Police, Umar Muri, has given directives that more Policemen from Mobile 47 Zaria be moved to the area.
But the Police in Katsina State on Wednesday touted its anti-bandits fight as they displayed the corpses of three armed bandits it said had been terrorising Dutsinma Local Government Area of the State.
Commissioner of Police, Sanusi Buba, told journalists at the Command Headquarters, Katsina, that the success was recorded on Tuesday at about 9 pm, adding that two AK47 rifles with 15 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition were recovered.
Mr Buba said the Area Commander of Dutsinma, Aminu Umar, and his team responded to a distress call that bandits numbering over 50 riding on motorbikes and shooting sporadically with AK47 rifles have attacked Unguwar Bera and Tashar Mangoro villages of Dutsinma LGA of the State.
