The Sokoto State Police Command has thwarted two separate bandit attacks in Tureta Local Government Area, successfully recovering a total of 137 rustled cows during coordinated security operations carried out in the affected communities.
The incidents, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), occurred in Fura Kirke and Bimasa villages on Sunday and Tuesday.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Ahmad Rufai, confirmed the development in a statement issued in Sokoto.
Rufai explained that the first operation was launched after the Command received a distress call on June 28 indicating that heavily armed bandits had stormed Fura Kirke Village, firing gunshots indiscriminately while carting away livestock belonging to residents.
He stated that the Police Command immediately deployed all relevant tactical teams, including the Anti-Kidnapping Unit and the Village Crime Response Centre (VCRC), to confront the attackers.
According to him, “Our operatives strategically blocked all exit routes from the village and engaged the bandits in a fierce gun battle.”
He added, “Overpowered by the superior firepower of the security forces, the criminals fled through the Gizazza Forest, abandoning the rustled animals.”
Rufai disclosed that security operatives recovered 65 stolen cows during the operation and successfully returned them to their owners. He also confirmed that neither civilians nor security personnel sustained injuries during the encounter.
The police spokesperson further revealed that another emergency report reached the Command on June 30, informing authorities that armed bandits had launched a fresh assault on Bimasa Village, also located within Tureta Local Government Area.
He explained that the attackers fired indiscriminately before making away with several domestic animals.
According to Rufai, the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, alongside other tactical teams, responded promptly and intercepted the fleeing bandits.
He said, “The gallant operatives engaged the bandits in a sustained gun duel, forcing them to flee into the nearby forest and abandon the stolen livestock.”
He confirmed that all 72 rustled cows stolen during the second attack were recovered, while the operation was completed without any casualties among security personnel.
Rufai noted that the Commissioner of Police praised the officers involved for their bravery, professionalism and swift response to the incidents.
According to him, the Commissioner described the successful operations as further proof of the Command’s determination to safeguard lives and property throughout Sokoto State.
He added that the police chief also urged residents to continue providing timely and credible intelligence to security agencies to strengthen ongoing efforts aimed at combating banditry and other forms of criminal activity across the state.
