The Kebbi State Police Command has disclosed that two police officers lost their lives during a gun duel with bandits suspected to be Lakurawa sect members in Kebbi State on Friday as they attempted to foil a cattle rustling operation.
This was announced in a statement made available to newsmen on Saturday by the command’s spokesman, SP Nafiu Abubakar.
The statement read, “On the 3rd of January 2025, at about 0100 hrs, armed hoodlums suspected to be Lakurawa bandits on motorcycles invaded Alhaji Lawal Block Farm and nearby Fulani settlements located at Natsini village, along Argungu/Kangiwa road, and rustled an unspecified number of cows.
“On receipt of the report, a team of Police Safer Highway patrol immediately rushed to the scene, engaged the bandits in a gun duel, pursued them, forcing the bandits to escape into the forest with gunshot wounds, and successfully recovered some of the rustled cows.
“Regrettably, two police officers lost their lives during the encounter.”
Meanwhile, Bello Sani, the state Commissioner of Police, denounced the event and prayed for the fallen policemen’s souls to rest in eternal peace.
He added that the CP paid an on-the-spot assessment visit to the scene before visiting the Emir of Argungu, Alhaji Sama’ila Mera, to condole and inform him on the combined security services’ efforts to combat crime in the area.