Just-In: Bandits Kill Officers, Villagers In Zamfara

Suspected bandits have reportedly killed police officers and scores of villagers during an attack in Zamfara State.

The incident occurred on Friday night when the attackers stormed Tofa and Samawa communities in Bungundu Local Government Area of the state.

The state’s police spokesperson, SP Muhammed Shehu, confirmed the incident in a statement made available to THE WHISTLER on Sunday.

The assailants had stormed Tofa village in large number with sophisticated weapon, “shooting sporadically at the villagers”.

The statement revealed that the police were alerted late and the bandits had finished their “onslaught on Tofa Community, where yet to be ascertained number of villagers were killed”.

However, when the assailants left for Samawa village on a similar mission, Shehu said operatives were already alerted, and they reportedly repelled the attack after a “gun battle for hours” with the bandits.

“As a result of the encounter, an unspecified number of bandits were fatally injured, while others escaped with possible gunshot wounds. No loss of life from the community in samawa.

“But regrettably, Police operatives paid the supreme price while on gun battle with the bandits,” the statement revealed.

Reacting to the incident, the Commissioner of Police, CP Hussaini Rabiu condoled with the families of the deceased and directed the immediate deployment of additional Police Tactical operatives to the affected villages.

He urged the communities to be quick in informing  the security agencies on the movement of criminal elements to enable them act accordingly.