Bandits kill village head, 5 others during house-to-house raid in Katsina

A traditional ruler has been killed alongside six others as bandits invaded Daddarar villages in Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina Thursday.

Five others were kidnapped, too.

According to locals,  at Daddarar Liman, the criminals killed Alhaji Jafaru Rabiu, the village head, and his house help, Malam Mansir Danye.

The attackers were said to have conducted a house-to-house search where they carted away animals and collected other valuables, including their money, from residents.

But the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), from Jibia, and his men were able to scare the attackers out of the villages.

Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer in Katsina, SP Gambo Isah, said five people were killed, including the village head while one person is missing.

“The bandits, carrying sophisticated weapons, invaded the village around 11:30pm (Wednesday) and started shooting.

“By the time our DPO arrived in the company of some military personnel,  he met the bandits trying to move away with some people and animals,  they exchanged gunfire and chased the bandits away, but one woman is still missing,” he said.

SP Isah added that there were influx of bandits into Katsina State as a result of the ongoing military operations in Zanfara and Sokoto states,  the problem the security operatives in the state were trying to contain.

“Notorious bandits like Dankarami, Abdulkarim and some Turji boys are seen in Katsina and they are converging around Tsambe area in Jibia local government,’ he said.

He, however, added there is synergy now between all the security agencies trying to flush them out.