Armed bandits attempted to attack the Dutsinma-Kurfi road in the Dutsinma local government area of the State, but were successfully repelled by the Nigeria Police Force’s Katsina State command.
DSP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, the spokesperson for the Command, said in a statement that the incident occurred early on Sunday, February 23, 2025, when accused bandits targeted on-duty members of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
He stated that officers from the Dutsinma Divisional Police Headquarters immediately raced to the scene following an emergency contact at around 12:57 am.
The robbers had to flee after a shootout broke out, and some of them were wounded by the gunfire.
During a search of the area, security personnel discovered the body of one neutralized bandit.
Due to ongoing investigations, the police have increased their attempts to apprehend the escaped suspects.
For this reason, the Police Command assured the community that it remains committed to safeguarding people and property across the State.
The renowned bandit leader Bello Turji is reportedly making unreasonable demands of the people living in Sokoto State’s Sabon Birni Local Government Area, which is causing them distress.
After one of its members was killed and firearms were lost in a recent altercation with security authorities, the gang reportedly levied a ₦25 million charge on the communities.
Furthermore, the people are rushing to raise ₦3 million in order to release 12 worshippers who were kidnapped by the thieves and taken from four different communities.
Hon. Ibrahim Saidu Naino, the representative of Sabon Birni East in the Sokoto State House of Assembly, has confirmed that each of the 12 kidnapped believers has been held hostage for ₦250,000, according to Vanguard.
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This ransom is the result of the large charge that Turji’s gang has requested from the local municipalities.
Naino described the events in detail, stating that locals had retaliated against the attackers with military assistance, killing one of them and taking some of their weapons.
As payback for their losses, the armed group retaliated by imposing a monetary penalty.
