A fierce gun battle between bandits and a joint team of police and military personnel led to the killing of scores of bandits in Maikujura village, Rabah Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The operation also led to the recovery of two AK-47 rifles, 52 rounds of live ammunition, about 15 motorcycles and 62 rustled animals by the joint police and military personnel.
A statement issued on Friday by the Sokoto State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ahmad Rufa’i, explained that the operation, which took place in the early hours of Friday, followed credible intelligence received by the Divisional Police Officer in Rabah that a large number of armed bandits were moving towards Maikujura with rustled livestock.
Rufa’i said, “The bandits were allegedly heading towards their hideout in the notorious Gundumi Forest when the DPO mobilised tactical teams, including the Anti-Kidnapping Unit and the Violence Crime Response Unit, in collaboration with personnel from the military Forward Operating Base.”
In order to successfully execute the operation, he stated that the security operatives strategically blocked the bandits’ route, forcing them into a confrontation that resulted in a fierce gun duel.
He added that the criminals were engaged with superior firepower and tactical manoeuvring, which overwhelmed them and forced them to retreat into the nearby forest with gunshot wounds.
The police spokesman explained that the security operatives subsequently combed the surrounding bushes, where they recovered the bodies of several bandits, alongside the weapons, ammunition and motorcycles abandoned during the encounter.
He said the security personnel did not encounter any casualties or villagers during the operation, adding that the owners of the recovered livestock had been identified and would be reunited with their animals.
Rufa’i said neighbouring police divisions had been placed on high alert and directed to watch out for any injured bandits who might attempt to seek medical attention or hide within their areas.
The Commissioner of Police in Sokoto State, CP Hassan Hayatu Shaffa, hailed the police officers and military personnel involved in the operation for their “professionalism, bravery and swift response.”
He also appealed to residents to continue providing security agencies with timely and credible information that could assist ongoing efforts to combat banditry and protect communities across the state.