Sola Ojo, Kaduna

The Kaduna State police command on Sunday confirmed the loss of two of its men and killing of three bandits during an exchange of fire in Kakangi, in Birni Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Chairman, Birni Gwari Vanguards for Security and Good Governance, Ibrahim, Abubakar Nangwari, had raised the alarm over an invasion a police station in the community by scores of armed bandits who came on motorcycles around 5 pm on Saturday.

“The security situation (in the area) has worsened due to armed banditry and kidnapping, with many communities particularly along Birnin-Gwari- Funtua road deserting their homes and taking refuge in Birnin-Gwari and elsewhere,” Ibrahim claimed.

Confirming the development, the police spokesman in Kaduna, DSP Yakubu Sabo, said although the invasion was repelled, not without causalities on both sides of while six civilians also sustained various degrees of gun wounds.

According to Yakubu, “we received a distress call through DPO Randagi on 6/4/19 at about 19:00hrs that armed men in large numbers entered Kakangi village of B/Gwari LGA, a neighboring community with Niger State, shooting sporadically, attacking the villagers.

“A combined team of PMF personnel,  conventional police and vigilante were quickly mobilized to the village and engaged the bandits in a fierce gun duel and successfully repelled the attack.

“Our gallant men gunned down three bandits and several others escaped into the bush with bullet wounds. However, two of our men paid the supreme sacrifice during the intense gun duel with the bandits.

“One Insp Aliyu Mohammed and Sgt Rabiu Abubakar, both attached to Randagi Division, while Sgt Ibrahim Nasir along with six civilians was injured and are now receiving treatment at the General Hospital B/Gwari.”

The command condemned the attack and assured members of the public that it would fish out the culprits, just as it appealed to the good citizens of the state to support the police with prompt and relevant information that could help in getting rid of the bandits in the state.