By Deborah Nnamdi
A police officer has been reportedly killed and two civilians injured after armed bandits launched coordinated attacks on communities in Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State on Sunday.
Sources said the injured victims were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, while the attackers destroyed property worth millions of naira during the daytime assaults.
The gunmen were said to have first stormed Sayaya town, where they set a community healthcare centre ablaze and looted before burning several shops. Two vehicles were also reportedly destroyed in the attack.
In a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed, the assailants were said to have invaded the area and ambushed a police station, where a policeman identified as Suleiman Bishir was killed. The attackers also targeted the primary healthcare centre and looted shops within the community.
Governor Dikko Radda, who visited the affected area, commiserated with the Divisional Police Officer and other officers over the death of their colleague and extended condolences to families affected by the violence.
In a related incident, the bandits reportedly attacked Dankawari town in the same local government area, setting another vehicle ablaze.
As of the time of filing this report, security agencies had yet to issue an official statement on the attacks.
Residents described the slain officer as dedicated and well-respected within the community.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the African Democratic Congress in Katsina State, Lawal Tukur Batagarawa, also sympathised with residents of Dangani and Sayaya communities, claiming that three policemen were killed in the attacks.
He described the situation as a grim reflection of the worsening insecurity affecting several states, including Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, and Plateau, and called on both federal and state governments to intensify efforts to safeguard lives and property.
