Ten people have been confirmed dead, while another five were injured in a fresh attack by bandits on Kirtawa village in Safana Local Government Area of Katsina State on Saturday evening.
Spokesman for the Katsina Police Command, SP Gambo Isah, who confirmed the incident on Sunday said the bandits also set ablaze five motor vehicles, five motorcycles and they rustled unspecified number of cows during the attack.
Isah, who said the bandits were over 300 in number, further disclosed that one soldier and one personnel of the Nigerian Civil Defence Corps were injured during efforts by security operatives to repel the bandits.
According to him, the bandits were on reprisal attack on the community.
“On 13/07/2019 at about 17:20hrs, a group of bandits numbering 300 on motorcycles armed with dangerous weapons invaded and attacked Kirtawa village, Safana Local Government Area of Katsina State.
“DPO of Safana initially led teams of Operations Puff Adder and Sharan-Daji to the scene and engaged the hoodlums in a gun duel.
“In the process, the hoodlums shot the tires of the Police Armoured Personnel Vehicle and injured one Army and one Civil Defence personnel.
“At the time the combined 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 number of cows were also rustled by the hoodlums.
“It is ostensibly clear that it was a reprisal attack carried out by the hoodlums on 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 police spokesman said.
He assured the people that government and security forces are working on strategies to contain and bring to an end the menace of banditry in the state.
