Katsina State Police operatives have rescued three women and a nursing baby after engaging suspected bandits in a gun duel following an attack on Makwanta village in Dutsinma Local Government Area.
The confrontation occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, September 16, 2026, after the police received a distress call reporting an attack and abduction in the community.
According to the command’s spokesperson, DSP Abubakar Aliyu, the alarm was raised at about 12:22 a.m., prompting the Divisional Police Officer in Dutsinma to mobilise operatives to the area.
Aliyu said the police team pursued the fleeing attackers and successfully intercepted them along the Dutsinma-Danmusa Local Government Area border.
The operatives subsequently engaged the suspected bandits in a fierce exchange of gunfire, forcing them to abandon the victims and escape into the surrounding bush.
The suspects were believed to have sustained gunshot wounds during the encounter.
Police said the four victims were rescued unhurt and identified them as Marawiya Musa, 14; Mariya Ibrahim, 50; Amina Ibrahim, 21; and a nursing baby.
A search of the area after the operation also led to the recovery of an AK-47 rifle loaded with five rounds of live ammunition.
Other items recovered included a Tecno mobile phone, three MP3 players, a knife and three wraps of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.
The command said efforts were ongoing to locate and arrest the fleeing suspects.
The Commissioner of Police, Katsina State Command, CP Ali Fage, commended the DPO and the operatives involved in the operation for their swift response and tactical handling of the incident.
Fage reiterated the command’s commitment to sustained operations against banditry and other violent crimes across Katsina State.
The police also urged residents to remain alert and provide security agencies with timely information that could assist in preventing attacks and protecting lives and property.
