Police kill 104 bandits in Zamfara
The Nigeria Police said on Friday that an ongoing joint operation against armed bandits in Mahanga Forest in Bitnin Mogaji Local Government Area of Zamfara State has resulted in the death of 104 bandits and destruction of over 50 hideouts and three bandits’ camps in the early hours of Thursday.
It also resulted in the recovery of 500 cattle, 79 sheep by the police and the painful death of a policeman who lost his life during the attack, a statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, Acting DCP, Jimoh Moshood stated.
Moshood said that although, the police had over ran an ambush mounted by the armed bandits at Mahanga Forest in Birnin Mogaji LGA, the Force Headquarters found it expedient to despatch100 police special forces personnel, Counter terrorism unit, additional police mobile force, Federal SARS personnel and three surveillance patrol helicopters to Zamfara State on Friday to completely rout-out the armed bandits.
He assured that the Police team have restored normalcy in the affected areas.
It would be recalled that the Police authority, had on 9th November deployed police joint intervention team of about 1000 Police personnel comprising the seven Units of Police Mobile Force (PMF) headed by an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU),
Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS), Police Anti-Bomb (EOD) Squad, and conventional Policemen to Zamfara State to arrest the mayhem caused by the armed bandits after some of them have turned themselves into a vicious kidnap for ransom and cattle rustling gangs.
Moshood said the team have recorded significant progress with the arrest of more than 85 suspects and recovery of 27 AK47 rifles, 52 locally fabricated rifles and other dangerous weapons. They also recovered 269 cattle, 109 Sheep and handed the cattle over to their owners.
He said the additional deployment followed ambush attacks on the police joint team, adding that the DIG in-charge of operations is leading the reinforced personnel and to coordinate.
