The police have killed 17 bandits and lost 10 officers during a gun battle in Kebbi State after the attackers stormed a community in an attempt to terrorise residents and abduct some of them.
The Kebbi State Police Command has confirmed that 17 armed bandits were killed during a gun battle with security operatives at Makuku village in Zuru Emirate, along the Kebbi-Zamfara border.
The Command’s spokesperson, SP Bashir Usman, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, saying the bandits had stormed the community with the intention of attacking residents and possibly abducting some of them.
Usman said the armed mobile police force, acting on credible intelligence, swiftly mobilised to the area and engaged the bandits in a fierce gun battle.
According to him, at least 17 bandits were killed while several others sustained gunshot wounds during the encounter.
The police spokesperson, however, said the security operation came at a heavy cost, with 10 police officers killed in the gun battle. He added that other officers sustained varying degrees of injuries and were receiving medical treatment at a health facility.
“Yes, there was a gunfight between our men and the bandits at Makuku village. Tragically, we lost 10 officers while we killed over 17 bandits,” Usman said.
He said the officers who died in the line of duty “did not die in vain”, assuring that the wounded personnel would receive the necessary medical attention and support.
