Linus Oota , Lafia
Katsina State Police Command has confirmed that the clash between vigilantes and armed bandits in Tsamiyar Jino village in Kankara Local Government Area claimed 14 lives.
According to the command’s spokesperson, SP Gambo Isah, the vigilantes failed to heed police advice and attacked the bandits in their hideout.
He said seven of the vigilantes and seven of the bandits were killed.
“According to the reports received by the command, the incident started when members of the vigilante group decided to launch an attack on the bandits in their hideout (forest) killing seven of them and resultant of a fierce battle where the bandits also killed seven of the vigilante members.
“Yansakai (volunteers), who went into the forest to fight the bandits, refused to heed police advice.”
He said: “The bandits suffered casualties of the same number (seven) which they have evacuated from the forest as reported by the DPO in the area.”
Last week, 50 people were killed when suspected bandits clashed with vigilantes in a community in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
Meanwhile, Nasarawa State Police Command has said it has arrested 17 armed robbery suspects and some kidnappers terrorising the peace of the state.
The state police commissioner, Bola Longe, said this, yesterday, while parading the criminals at the state police headquarters in Lafia.
He said: “Some suspected kidnappers and armed robbers who have been terrorising the inhabitants of Toto Local Government Area of the state were arrested with different weapons.
He said the criminals were arrested in different locations of the state and advised members of the public to give the command information that can lead to the arrest of criminals in their communities, adding that the identity of the giver of such information would be subject to utmost confidentiality.
He said dangerous charms, cutlass and AK47 rifles were recovered and vowed to tackle all forms of kidnapping and armed robbery going on in different part of the state.
“We want to state emphatically that the state police command has been strategising on how to further check criminal activities in the state, especially armed robbery and kidnapping.
“The command has put in place several anti-kidnapping and robbery template; we are warning criminals to stop their antics, else they will be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of the law.
“We want to state without any equivocation that the command has the will, the training, the logistics and temperament to comprehensively reduce criminal activities to the barest minimum in the state” he boasted.