Bandits kill assistant commissioner of police, one other in Katsina

BANDITS killed an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in charge of Dutsinma Area Command in Katsina State, Aminu Umar, and one other policeman, in a gun duel on Tuesday.

Confirming the report, spokesman of the Katsina State Police Command, Gambo Isah, said the late Umar and his team were ambushed by over 300 bandits riding on motorcycles with AK-47 rifles and General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG) while on clearance operation of recalcitrant bandits/terrorists, in Zakka forest in Safana Local Government Area of the state.

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According to him, the Area Commander and one other officer were killed during an exchange of gun fire with the bandits.

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“The Commissioner of Police, CP Idrisu Dabban Dauda, on behalf of the officers and men of the Command expresses his deep sympathy to the family of the deceased and pray to almighty Allah to repose their souls in Jannatul Firdausi,” the Katsina Police spokesman added in a statement on Tuesday.

The commissioner of police reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force in the ongoing onslaught against terrorism in the state.

The statement did not indicate whether the killing of the area commander was linked to an attack on the advance convoy of President Muhammadu Buhari, also in Katsina, on Tuesday.

Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in a statement released late on Tuesday night, said the attack on the President’s convoy took place “near Dutsinma”.

Late Aminu Umar, the ACP killed by the bandits, was in charge of the Dutsinma Area Command.

Also, the statement released by the presidential spokesman said “two persons in the convoy are receiving treatment for the minor injuries they suffered”, while all the other personnel, staff and vehicles made it safely to Daura, Buhari’s hometown.

Buhari is scheduled to be in Daura, his hometown, for the Eid-el Kabir festival, and the convoy was traveling ahead of his visit.

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Nurudeen Akewushola is an investigative reporter and fact-checker with The ICIR. He believes in-depth investigative reporting is the key to social justice and good governance. You can shoot him an email via nyahaya@icirnigeria.org and @NurudeenAkewus1 on Twitter.