Police kill ‘five bandits’, recover 143 livestock in Katsina

The Katsina police command says five suspected bandits were killed in a series of raids of hideouts in the state.

In a statement on Sunday, Abubakar Aliyu, the command’s spokesperson, said the raids were coordinated by officers of the anti-kidnapping unit and the Special Investigations Bureau (SIB), in collaboration with local hunters and vigilantes.

He said some operations occurred in bandits’ camps at Marake, Garin Yara and Garin Labo villages in Batsari LGA.

He said raids were also conducted in Jibia LGA where the “camp of one Audu Lankai, a notorious bandits’ leader” was attacked.

Aliyu said 18-year-old Abubakar Idris, a suspected bandit, was arrested and 143 livestock were recovered in the operation.

“The operation was led by the command’s officer in charge of the anti-kidnapping unit and that of the Special Investigations Bureau (SIB),” he said.

“The team succeeded in dislodging several notorious bandits’ camps at Marake, Garin Yara and Garin Labo villages, all in Batsari local government.

“The team also dislodged another camp of one Audu Lankai, a notorious bandits’ leader terrorising Jibia and its environs.”

Aliyu said 38 cows, 40 sheep and 65 goats were recovered at the raided camps.

He said the police are still scanning the scene for possible arrests of other members of the camp.