Bandits attack Katsina communities, kill 47

Armed bandits Saturday attacked communities in three local governments of Katsina State, killing 47 persons.

The Katsina State Police Command confirmed the early morning attacks and the casualty.

The command’s spokesman, Gambo Isah, made this known in a statement made available to journalists on Sunday in Katsina.

He said that the bandits carried out the attacks in Dutsinma, Danmusa and Safana local government areas at about 00:30 hours on April 18.

The spokesman did not give further details, but said that police, army, air force, civil defence and SSS personnel had been deployed to restore normalcy in the affected communities.

In his reaction, President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the attacks.

According to a statement by his spokesperson, Garba Shehu, the president said that he is deeply saddened by the latest development, and called on Nigerians not to despair because this administration is ever determined to defeat and crush these criminal elements taking advantage of the lockdown to attack their victims.

According to Mr Shehu, President Buhari said he will not tolerate this large scale killing of innocent people by the bandits, adding that “in line with my commitment to security of the people, these attacks will be met with decisive force.”

The president directed the security agencies not to rest on their oars or lower their guard which will create a vacuum for the bandits to strike.

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While extending his sympathies to the families of the victims, he called on the people to show more vigilance by reporting the activities of criminal elements in their midst.

Katsina is one of the Northwest states that has suffered attacks from bandits in the past few years.

Other states that have suffered similar attacks are Zamfara, Kaduna and Jigawa.