The Sokoto State Police Command says it has killed a suspected armed bandit and recovered an AK-47 rifle with ammunition following a foiled attack on Daraye Village in Wamako Local Government Area of the State.
The command’s spokesman, DSP Ahmad Rufa’i, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday, saying the operation was carried out in the early hours of Friday after police received a distress call that a large number of armed bandits had invaded the community.
According to the statement, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, the Vehicle Crime Response Unit (VCRU), and other tactical teams were immediately deployed to reinforce personnel at the Wamako Divisional Police Headquarters.
The police said the operatives engaged the attackers in a prolonged gun battle, forcing the bandits to retreat and flee into the forest with varying degrees of gunshot injuries.
The statement added that during a subsequent combing of the surrounding bushes, one suspected bandit was neutralised.
Items recovered from the suspect included one AK-47 rifle and a magazine loaded with 28 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition.
The command said confidence-building patrols had been intensified in the area to reassure residents and prevent further attacks, while neighbouring divisional police headquarters had been placed on alert to monitor for injured suspects seeking medical treatment.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Hayatu Hassan Shaffa, commended the officers involved in the operation for their bravery and reaffirmed the command’s commitment to tackling banditry and protecting lives and property across Sokoto State.
