A notorious banditry kingpin, Abdulkareem Lawal alias Faca-faca, and many of his followers have been killed in airstrikes by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fighter jets on some bandits’ enclaves in Safana Local Government Area of Katsina State.
Our correspondent learnt that the raids were carried out in the evening.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Gambo Isah, confirmed on Sunday that eight suspected bandits including Faca-faca were killed during the raid.
He also said the police Saturday night raided a terrorists’ hideout at Unguwar Dako, Tandama village in Danja Local Government Area of the state where they rescued six kidnapped victims.
Isah gave the names of the rescued victims as Alhaji Garba DanMallam, 52; Rabiu Idris, 45; and Abba Samaila, 38, who are all residents of Unguwar Nuhu.
Others are Yunusa Sani, 54; Ishaq Yakub, 40; and Danjuma Samaila, 45, all residents of Layin Sani village, Kafur.
Meanwhile, bandits have killed two members of a local vigilante group and abducted a newlywed couple and other residents of Shola Quarters in the Katsina metropolis.
READ ALSO:
Residents said the bandits invaded the area around 1:25am and operated for over an hour.
One of the sources said, “It was the vigilante members that even confronted the bandits but in the process, two of them were killed and two others wounded.”
He explained that the vigilante members had to retreat for their safety when the bandits overpowered them.
He said it was later that one body was retrieved while one of the injured persons rushed to the hospital died.
Explaining how the newlywed couple was kidnapped, a relative, Usman Masanawa, said the husband, Yusuf Bishir, called to inform him of the attack but there was nothing he could do.
“We went there this morning; the bandits did not even enter the house through the entrance gate but they smashed the wall and got access into the house,” Masanawa said.
He added that the number of residents abducted could not be ascertained but other residents said some houses were attacked and people abducted.
When contacted, the PPRO who responded via WhatsApp message, said officers were on an operation (on the matter) and would communicate details later.
In another attack, bandits abducted 13 people from Natsinta village, in Jibia Local Government Area, which is a few hundred metres from the army barracks in Katsina.
A resident, whose uncle and two of his children were abducted, said the bandits had earlier abducted 26 people but when they got to where they parked their motorcycles, they took 13 with them and left the others.
DAILY TRUST
Calls for greater transparency in the distribution of federal employment opportunities have intensified, with APC…
US President Donald Trump has played down a report alleging that Chinese entities supplied Iran…
2027: Sowore Promises ₦500,000 Minimum Wage, Free Education, 24-Hour Electricity African Action Congress presidential candidate…
Zamfara leadership commits full support to the re-election bid as Campaign Director-General Abdul’aziz Yari meets…
NDLEA Intercepts 44kg UK-Linked Cannabis, Drugs Hidden in Bread, Speakers Operatives of the National Drug…
Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru has hit back at socialite and businessman Paschal Okechukwu, better…