A total of 15 suspected bandits including one who has been described as notorious and on the wanted list of the police have been arrested in Katsina State, North-West Nigeria.
The police have also recovered 495 animals rustled from two villages in the State.
A statement by the State Command’s spokesperson, Gambo Isah, says the incidents occurred at Tsaynin Bala and Dankar-Dangayya villages in Dutsinma and Batsari Local Government Areas.
The statement explains that on November 13, 11 bandits, armed with AK 47 rifles, were arrested.
The Divisional Police Officer, DPO in conjunction with the Area Commander of Dutsinma, led a combined team of policemen and members of the vigilante group to confront the bandits, where 11 of them were arrested, including a wanted bandits’ leader, Alhaji Adamu, also known as Shatal.
The statement says that as a result of the encounter, 239 rustled animals were recovered, including 185 cows and 54 sheep, which have already been handed over to their owners.
Similarly, the statement adds that on the same day, the DPO of Batsari, led combined forces of Operation Puff Adder, Sharan Daji and members of the vigilante group on a patrol, along the Dankar-Dangayya villages of Batsari LGA and intercepted 3 suspected bandits with a total of 256 rustled animals, made up of 43 cows and 213 sheep.
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Isah says in the course of the investigation, the suspects confessed that the animals belong to one Dahiru Musa, an alleged notorious bandit, who was later arrested and could not give satisfactory account of the animals.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
