From Maiharaji Altine, Gusau
Zamfara state police command said it has killed about 30 bandits who launched simultaneous attacks on some communities in the state, while 10 villagers lost their lives during the encounter on the early hours of today.
In a statement, the police Public Relations Officer SP Mohammed Shehu said, “On the early hours of today, the Zamfara State Police Command received a distress call about the ongoing simultaneous attacks on Gobirawa, Gora, Rini and Madoti Dankule villages of Maradun and Bakura LGAs respectively”.
“On receipt of the distress call, Tactical Operatives of the Command comprising of Puff Adder, Special Forces, PMF and CTU led by the Commander 78 PMF arrived the scenes and engaged the attackers to a gun duel”
“As a result of the encounter, about 30 hoodlums were neutralised while others escaped to the forest with a possible gun shot wounds”.
“In the course of chasing the assailants out of the villages, the operatives discovered about 10 corpses of the villagers littered at the different theatre of engagements”.
Shehu said “Mop up operation is ongoing with a view to arresting the perpetrators of the dastardly act”.
He maintained that further details of the operation would be communicated in due course.
Meanwhile the Commissioner of Police Zamfara State Command has reiterated his warning to all the recalcitrant armed bandits to either surrender their arms and embrace peace or face the unpredictable consequences.
The commissioner charged the police to defend themselves aggressively in any engagement with bandits and ensure that they dominated the spaces where the bandits were said to have been in control.
