Police engage bandits in gun battle, rescue nine kidnap victims in Katsina

Police authorities in Katsina State have foiled a kidnapping attempt at Karijam village in Mahuta ward of Dandume Local Government Area of the state.

Nine kidnapped victims have also been rescued as many bandits escaped with various degrees of gunshots wounds during the failed operation.

The bandits reportedly invaded the village at about 23:00 hrs on Thursday, shooting sporadically with AK 47 rifles.

Police spokesman, SP Gambo Isah, in a statement issued on Friday, said the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Dandume Division on receipt of the report, led a team of policemen and blocked the possible exit route of the bandits at Kadawan Maikomo village in Sabuwa Local Government Area.

According to Isah the bandits followed through the route and fell into the police ambush.

“The team engaged the bandits into a fierce gun duel and successfully repelled them. The doggedness, uncommon courage and tactical operational strategy adopted by the Police officers made the bandits to flee into the forest with varying degree of bullets wounds.

“In the course of profiling the scene, all the nine abducted persons were rescued unhurt and some GSM phones and food items stolen from the village by the hoodlums were also recovered”.

The Command, therefore, urged members of the public to cooperate with security agencies working at the front line areas by giving them credible information on bandits and their collaborators, especially those supplying them with arms and ammunition, informants and other essential commodities.

They assured members of the public that it will remain resolute and committed in the ongoing fight against recalcitrant bandits until they are arrested and dealt with according to the extant laws of the land.