- Police raid bandits’ camps, kill one
Francis Sardauna in Katsina
Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted a lecturer with the Hassan Usman Polytechnic Katsina, Mr. Bello Abdullahi Birchi.
This is coming as the operatives of ‘Operation Puff Adder,’ have killed one of the suspected bandits terrorising residents of Batsari and Safana Local Government Areas of the state and injured one other.
Birchi, who was kidnapped at his residence in Birchi, Kurfi Local Government Area (LGA) of the state, is a lecturer at the Department of Technical Education of the polytechnic.
The gunmen numbering about five invaded the victim’s residence Wednesday night on motorcycles and whisked him away to unknown destination.
Confirming the incident to THISDAY in a telephone interview, Katsina State Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Dr. Sabi’u Abdullahi Ya’u, said the union has since informed security agencies of the development.
Ya’u said: “Bello Abdullahi Birchi was kidnapped at his residence in Birchi, Kurfi LGA yesterday (Wednesday) night. The gunmen went to the village on motorcycles.
“Immediately after the incident was reported to me, I called an emergency meeting with my excos and we quickly met the management of the institution and reported the sad development to security agencies.
“The kidnappers dropped a phone number but we were advised by security personnel not to call the number immediately. They said we should allow them to carry out the investigation. So, we have not called the number”.
The ASUP chairman, who described the security situation in the state as deteriorating, added: “Honestly speaking, people of Katsina State are no long safe; we need federal government intervention in order to address this menace”.
He affirmed that the bandits and kidnappers terrorising the state have informants, whom he said are giving them information on the movement of persons and what they have.
Ya’u called on the federal government to deploy the army and other security personnel to Rugu Forest to dislodge the criminals and make sure those kidnapped are not taken to the deadly forest.
Meanwhile, operatives of ‘Operation Puff Adder,’ have killed one of the suspected bandits terrorising residents of Batsari and Safana LGAs of Katsina State and injured one other.
The team recovered one AK47 rifle, four motorcycles, a bag of rice, one gallon of fuel and one bag of sugar.
Briefing journalists on the achievements of the command, the state Commissioner of Police, Sanusi Buba, said the achievement followed a serious exchange of gunfire between the police operatives and the bandits at Illella village in Safana Local Government Area of the state.
According to him, “Today (Thursday) at about 13: 00hrs, based on a tip-off, ‘Operation Puff Adder,’ led by the Divisional Police Officer, Batsari division, raided one of the bandits’ camps at Illella village in Safana LGA of Katsina State.
“After a fierce gun duel, the operatives succeeded in dislodging the hoodlums from the enclaves, as a result, one of them was killed during the shootout while the rest ran into the forest.”
He stated that the injured suspect would be given medical attention by the police in order to avail the command with relevant information.
