The Katsina State Police Command said its men, led by the Divisional Police Officer of Kankar, on Monday intercepted some bandits in Mararabar-Gurbi, a notorious cattle route used by bandits.
The bandits engaged operatives in a gun duel, during which three of them were neutralised, while others fled into the forest with possible gunshot wounds.
According to the Public Relations Officer of the Command, SP Gambo Isah, one AK-49 assault rifle, 160 cows, 170 sheep and two motorcycles were recovered at the scene.
Isah also disclosed that on Sunday, a combined team of police operatives and vigilantes stormed the Unguwar Mai Kawo forest, Bakori Local Government Area and a raided a bandits’ hideout, where two bandits: Buhari Yusuf, 25, and Usman Bammi, 30, were arrested.
Both men were fingered in the killing of one Alhaji Ibrahim Fatahi of Jar-Gaba village, Bakori.
Two AK-47 rifles were recovered from them.
In another development, the police command said it had earlier on April 10, 2021 arrested one Ibrahim Ma’aruf, 40, a notorious arms dealer, kidnapper and a cattle rustler.
The suspect was arrested with forty rustled cows.
According to SP Isah, the same suspect had on March 22, 2021 abandoned 96 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition of AK-47 rifle and the sum of N780,000 at a police Nipping Point along Dutsin-ma to Safana road, fled and escaped police arrest.