Police repel bandit attacks in Katsina, rescue three victims

The Katsina State Police Command has repelled separate bandit attacks in Kankia and Musawa local government areas of the state, rescuing three kidnapped victims, recovering 12 rustled cows and neutralising one suspected bandit.

This was contained in a statement by the Command Public Relations Officer DSP Abubakar Sadiq, made available to newsmen on Wednesday in Katsina.

The statement read, “The Katsina State Police Command has successfully repelled two separate bandit attacks in Kankia and Musawa LGAs, leading to the rescue of three kidnapped victims, the recovery of twelve rustled cows, and the neutralisation of one armed bandit.

“On October 6, 2026, at about 9:30 PM, a distress call was received at Kankia Division that suspected armed bandits had attacked Fakuwa village, kidnapping three persons and rustling about twelve (12) cows.

Upon receipt of the report, the DPO Kankia swiftly mobilised and led a combined team of Police operatives and local vigilantes to the scene. The team traced and intercepted the bandits, engaging them in a prolonged gun duel, thereby forcing the hoodlums to abandon their criminal mission and flee into the forest with suspected gunshot wounds.

“Consequently, all the kidnapped victims were successfully rescued unharmed, and all the rustled cows were recovered. The victims have been reunited with their families.”

In a separate incident, the police said suspected bandits barricaded the Kiryoyi-Dangani Road in Musawa Local Government Area at about 1:30am on Wednesday.

The statement said the DPO Musawa led a team of the Vigilance and Community Response Unit, VCRU, to the scene following a distress call.

On arrival, a gun duel ensued, forcing the bandits to flee the area,” Sadiq said.

The police noted that a subsequent cordon and search operation led to the recovery of the body of one suspected bandit, with a machete found beside him.

The command said efforts were ongoing to track and arrest the fleeing suspects.

The Commissioner of Police, Katsina State Command, CP Ali Umar Fage, commended the operatives for what he described as their “gallantry and professionalism.”

Fage also urged members of the public to continue supporting the police with timely and credible information to help combat criminal activities across the state.

The police urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious movements and activities to security agencies.

In September, the Katsina State Police Command repelled the bandit attack in Dutsin-Ma Local Government Area of the state, rescuing four kidnapped victims and recovering an AK-47 rifle loaded with five rounds of live ammunition.

The victims were abducted when armed bandits attacked Makwanta village in the early hours of Wednesday.