In a decisive security breakthrough, the Katsina State Police Command has thwarted a suspected bandit operation along the Kandawa–Dankar corridor in Batsari Local Government Area, recovering a cache of weapons and a motorcycle abandoned by fleeing criminals.
The operation, carried out on Friday, 29 November 2025, followed a swift response to intelligence that armed bandits were attempting to block the busy rural route. Acting on the directives of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, PhD, NPM, and the renewed security architecture of the command, Commissioner of Police Bello Shehu, psc, fdc, MNIM, had earlier ordered heightened patrols and targeted interventions across vulnerable communities.
At about 1000 hours, Batsari Division received a distress report of an attempted road blockade by suspected bandits. Without hesitation, the Divisional Police Officer mobilised a tactical team to the scene. Police operatives engaged the criminals in a brief but intense gunfight, forcing the bandits to abandon their mission and flee into the surrounding bush under the pressure of superior firepower and coordinated tactics.
A sweep of the area led to the recovery of two AK-47 rifles, twenty-four rounds of live ammunition, and one Boxer motorcycle believed to have been used by the fleeing gang. Police investigators have already commenced detailed inquiries aimed at identifying, tracking, and apprehending the suspects behind the foiled attack.
Commissioner of Police Bello Shehu praised the operatives for what he described as “professional courage, swift response, and operational discipline,” noting that the success demonstrates the command’s renewed commitment to dismantling bandit networks and restoring peace across Katsina communities.
He further appealed to residents to remain vigilant and continue to volunteer credible information that can assist security agencies in staying ahead of criminal elements.
“The command will not relent in ensuring the safety of lives and property,” said the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abubakar Aliyu Sadiq, anipr, who signed the statement on behalf of the Commissioner. “We remain resolute in our mandate to protect the good people of Katsina State.”
Further updates, according to the command, will be communicated as investigations progress.
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