The Nigerian Police Special Unit, Operation PUFF ADDER Saturday killed 10 bandits in gun battle at Kundu village in Rafi local government area of Niger state.
The bandits were reported to have attacked the police base recently established in the village following incessant attacks and kidnap of a royal father.
It was learnt that the police however lost two men in the gun duel which lasted over two hours, while several other bandits reportedly escaped with bullet injuries.
A witness who pleaded anonymity said: “The bandits numbering over 100, and riding on about 30 motorcycles, invaded the Police camp situated at a primary school in Kundu village about two kilometres from Zungeru town at about 10am on Saturday and opened fire on the policemen”.
He said the police personnel who had been put on alert that the bandits were moving towards their direction in large numbers to attack the camp, strategically positioned themselves before the arrival of the bandits.
He explained that the bandits emerged from a maize farm, 50 meters from the PUFF ADDER camp which they used as a cover to lunch the attack on the policemen.
“After about two hours of heavy fighting, 10 of the bandits were killed and their bodies successfully evacuated by their members. Some of them were moving the bodies of those killed while others engaged the policemen in the gun battle. A woman was among the bandits killed and her body also taken away,” the source said.
Gov Bello lauds operation
And elated by the successful operation, Governor Abubakar Sani Bello commended the gallant policemen, assuring of further support by government.
During a visit to the scene Sunday, the governor, while sympathising with the families of those that paid the supreme sacrifice, assured security agencies of the government supports in the fight against armed bandits in the state.
He commended the resilience and bravery of the Operation PUFF ADDER in repelling the attack on the village, saying the government had ordered for some equipment that will make the fight against those he described as “criminal elements” easier.
He said: “We have ordered for some equipment that will reduce casualties on the side of our security agents and make the fight against these criminals easier. Very soon those equipment will arrive”.
While assuring them that their efforts at ensuring the peace and security of the state will not be in vain, he said government would do whatever it can to support the families of those policemen killed in the attack.
He announced the donation of a cow to each of the police and military camps across the state to enable them celebrate Sallah away from their families.
13 cops killed in Zamfara
Meanwhile, no fewer than 13 policemen and two civilians were killed following gunshots by bandits who laid ambush early Sunday morning along Kurarmota area in Bungudu local government area of Zamfara state.
A resident of the area who spoke under anonymity told Blueprint on the telephone that the bandits numbering over 50 rode on motorcycles around 12:30pm and attacked farmers’ busy working on their farms leaving two of them (farmers) dead.
Upon sighting the police operatives, the bandits laid ambush and killed 13 of the security agents with six others sustaining various degrees of injuries after which the criminals fled into the bush.
“The bandits came with heavy weapons and attacked farmers when they were busy working in their farms living two of our people dead and on sighting police operatives from Bungudu Divisional Police Office, they confronted them in which they overpowered the police and killed 13 of them while 6 were critically injured,” he said.
In the same vein, about 24 villages were sacked by bandits in Shinkafi local government area of Zamfara state during simultaneous attacks on innocent villagers between Friday and Saturday respectively.
The bandits suspected to be the boys of a notorious kingpin popularly known as Turji, was said to have given the affected communities four hours to leave their homes or be attacked.
Turji was said to have told the villagers that he was bitterly angry over the arrest of his father by security operatives in Jigawa state, a reason he vowed to vent his anger on the people if his father was not released before performing congregational Friday prayers in the area.
However, all efforts to reach the state police command public relations officer, SP Muhammad Shehu, proved abortive as at the time of this report.
Villagers return home
However, villagers evicted by Turji started returning home Sunday morning after an aide of the governor met with the outlaw.
Bandits loyal to Turji had sacked several villages in Shinkafi local government area and kidnapped more than 50 people, according to sources.
Turji was said to be angry that some residents of the area provided information to security agents that led to the arrest of his father at the Kano-Jigawa boundary.
A reporter with PREMIUM TIMES listened to an audio recording of Turji’s conversation with Moyi Sidi, a special assistant to Governor Bello Matawalle, who is also from Shinkafi local government area.
In the clip, Turji said he was angry because “two influential Hausa persons facilitated the arrest of my father,” saying they were the only people in Zamfara state giving him trouble.
When the governor’s aide pleaded with him to release the abducted persons in his camp and allow those fleeing their villages to go back, Turji responded: “You know I protect them (villagers) more than the DPO of the area. But when I started protecting people by fighting other bandits to reclaim stolen cows and give it back to people, they started envying me.”
Turji told Sidi how the “Hausa men started blackmailing me and my father. At a time, he relocated to Katsina and started planning against me. That was how they got at my father.
“But I don’t understand how they would just go and arrest my father. I am the one who has issue with them, my father is innocent and they know where I am with my boys.
“Why would they arrest my father? They said my father is the one keeping all the cows we stole from Kebbi. Imagine, they said my father took cows from Kebbi to Jigawa! How would my father lead cows from Kebbi to Jigawa? Where did he follow to reach Jigawa State? Just imagine the lie!”
The banditry kingpin promised to release the abducted persons in his camp, assuring that nothing would happen to them because he has no problem with the Zamfara State Government “save for some five people. Two Fulanis and two Hausas”.
He told the governor’s aide: “I promise you. If Musa can bring my father to the riverside, let him just call me and hand over my father to me, Wallahi I will release all the people in my camp. What would I even do with them?”
However, a source in Shinkafi local government council said those who spent the night at the secretariat had started moving back to their villages.
The source sent exclusive pictures to confirm the development.
It was not immediately clear if the development was connected to Turji’s promise to the governor’s aide.
Commenting on the development, however, chairman of a socio-political group, Zamfara Circle, Aminu Tsafe, lamented the state of law enforcement in the state.
“These are about 900 people with 900 guns, assuming each of them is carrying one gun, and thousands of rounds of ammunition. These people cannot be hidden. It is clear that the fight against banditry is not being accorded the attention it deserves,” he said.
The security adviser to the governor, Mamman Tsafe, declined to comment on the development.
But a director in the department confirmed that the displaced residents were returning to their villages and those kidnapped have been released.
When asked whether the state government led discussion to ensure Turji’s father was released, he said: “Well, I’m not even sure whether the guy’s father was arrested. But in the audio you sent to me, he didn’t mention Zamfara State. He doesn’t have issue with our government so; I don’t know what you mean by asking whether we’ve released his father.”
He said the state government and the security office will release statements on the issue.
Mohammed Shehu, Zamfara state police command spokesperson, didn’t respond to calls and SMS sent to him by reporter.
