Police foil cattle rustling in Katsina, recover 12 cows after gun battle

The Katsina State Police Command has foiled a cattle rustling operation and recovered 12 cows stolen by suspected armed bandits in Bakori Local Government Area.

Police Public Relations Officer, 0PPRO, DSP Abubakar Sadiq-Aliyu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday in Katsina.

He said the incident occurred at about 11p.m. on June 2, when armed bandits invaded Gidan Dan Maye village along the Gangaren Makurdi–Jargaba axis and rustled 12 cows and an unspecified number of sheep.

On receiving the report, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Bakori swiftly mobilised police operatives and members of the vigilante group to the area.

“The team tactically traced the suspects to a location around Gidan Baushe village, where a fierce gun battle ensued.

“Overpowered by the superior firepower and tactics of the security operatives, the bandits abandoned all the rustled animals and fled with suspected gunshot injuries,” Sadiq-Aliyu said.

He said all the recovered animals have been returned to their rightful owners, while efforts were ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects and dismantle their criminal network.

The Commissioner of Police, Ali Umar-Fage, commended the officers and vigilante members for their bravery and professionalism during the operation.

He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property across the state and urged residents to remain vigilant and continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies.

Sadiq-Aliyu added that the commissioner stressed that public cooperation remains crucial to sustaining the fight against banditry and other crimes in the state.
NAN