One Dead as Police Prevent Bandit Assault on NSCDC Officers in Katsina

In the Dutsinma local government region of the State, armed bandits attempted to attack the Dutsinma-Kurfi road, but were successfully repelled by the Nigeria Police Force’s Katsina State command.
The incident occurred early on Sunday, February 23, 2025, when claimed bandits targeted on-duty members of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), according to a statement released by the Command’s spokesperson, DSP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu.
According to him, officers from the Dutsinma Divisional Police Headquarters hurried to the scene of an emergency call at around 12:57 in the morning.

When a shootout started, the robbers were forced to flee, and some of them were wounded by the gunfire.
As security personnel searched the area, they discovered the body of one neutralized suspected robber.

Investigative efforts have been intensified by the police to apprehend the fugitives.

The community was thus reassured by the Police Command of its unwavering commitment to safeguarding people and property across the State.

In the meantime, inhabitants of Sokoto State’s Sabon Birni Local Government Area are reportedly in trouble due to an excessive demand from Bello Turji, a known bandit commander.

In response to the death of one of their members and the confiscation of weaponry during a recent altercation with security authorities, the gang reportedly levied a ₦25 million tax on the towns.

Furthermore, the locals are frantically trying to raise ₦3 million in order to secure the release of 12 worshippers who were kidnapped by the thieves and taken from four different villages.

According to Vanguard, the Sokoto State House of Assembly representative for Sabon Birni East, Hon. Ibrahim Saidu Naino, has confirmed that each of the 12 kidnapped believers has been held hostage for ₦250,000.

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Turji’s group has requested a large tax from the communities, which is paying for this ransom.

Naino described the events in detail, stating that locals had retaliated against the attackers with military assistance, killing one of them and taking out some weapons in the process.

The armed gang retaliated by imposing a monetary penalty, which they presented as recompense for their losses.