From Maiharaji Altine
Bandits have allegedly killed a Divisional Crime Officer (DCO) in charge of Zurmi local government area of Zamfara state and burnt down the police station.
An indigene of the area, Mohammed Ibrahim told Analyzer news on phone that, the bandits who were in large number invaded Zurmi town, the headquarters of Zurmi local government area of the state around five o’clock in the evening on Sunday, carrying sophisticated weapons.
Ibrahim said, immediately the bandits arrived Zurmi town, they went straight to the police station where they began to shoot sporadically, which resulted in the killing of a DCO and wounded other police officers then later set the police station in fire.
According to Ibrahim, the bandits attacked the police station following the killing of three of their men by the vigilante group of the area.
He said, “The vigilante group went to the forest and attacked the bandits’ camp where they killed three of them and captured one”.
“They later killed the bandit they captured in the forest after beating him severely”.
“In a reprisal attack, the bandits mobilized themselves in large number and headed to the police station in Zurmi, thinking that, their kinsman who was arrested by the vigilante group and the police was in the custody of the police”.
“Immediately they arrived at the police station, they opened fire, killing the DCO and wounded other policemen”.
“They went into the police station to look for their kinsman but could not see him, as such, they set the place on fire”.
“As I am talking to you now, the military personnel have arrived the town, while the bandits have since returned to the forest”.
All efforts to get comments from the spokesperson of the state police command ASP Yazid Abubakar failed as he could not be reached on phone.
