Police arrest seven suspected terrorists, recover 262 cattle

Juliana Francis

The Katsina Police Command has arrested seven suspected terrorists, recovered 262 cattle and 110 sheep.

These recoveries and arrests were made between the 11th and 5th of March.

The Command’s spokesman, a Superintendent of Police (SP), Mr. Gambo Isah, explained that on 11^th March, the police received credible intelligence that terrorists in their numbers, on motorcycles, invaded and attacked Yanmama village, in Malumfashi Local Government Area.

The terrorists, armed with AK 47 rifles, shot sporadically to frighten residents and then rustled seven cattle. They were already on their way into the forest, when the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Kankara Police Station, was alerted and he and his team quickly blocked the route into the Rugu Forest, thereby frustrating the attempts of the terrorists to escape.

Isah said: “The team succeeded in blocking the terrorists at Kanyar-Nogora, Kukar-Sheka Village, Kankara Local Government Area and had a fierce gun duel with them.   The police team, after successfully repelling the terrorists, arrested three and recovered seven cattle.  On the same date, a distress call was received that another group of terrorists attacked Tugu Gari Village, Matazu LGA, rustling an unspecified number of domestic animals. The  Area Commander, Dutsinma, led a team of policemen to Yantumaki Forest, blocked the hoodlums, and engaged them into a gun duel.  The area commander and his men arrested one of the terrorists and recovered 32 cattle and 23 sheep. Also, on 5^th  March 2022, the Command carried out sting operations, raiding suspected terrorists’ hideouts at Yellawa, Hakin-Biri, Danmusa LGAs, and Na-Iraqi notorious bandit camps at Safana LGA.  The team burnt down the camps recovered two operational motorcycles of the terrorists and recovered 92 cattle and 32 sheep.  The Commissioner of Police, Katsina State Command, CP Idrisu Dauda Dabban, commended and appreciated the efforts of the personnel in repelling the terrorists.  He also urged members of the public to continue to cooperate with security agencies in the ongoing onslaught against terrorism in the state.”