Suspected bandits have killed 10 people and injured five others in a reprisal attack carried out by a team of bandits in Kirtawa village of Safana LGA of Katsina state.

Spokesman of the state police command, SP Gambo Isah confirmed the incident in a statement on Sunday.

“On 13/07/2019 at about 17:20hrs, a group of bandits numbering 300 on motorcycles armed with dangerous weapons invaded and attacked Kirtawa village, Safana LGA of Katsina state.

“DPO Safana initially led teams of Operations “Puff Adder” and Sharan-Daji to the scene and engaged the hoodlums in a gun duel.

“In the process, the hoodlums shot the tires of the police Armoured Personnel Vehicle and injured one Army and one Civil Defence personnel.

“At the time the combined ground forces were mobilized into the village the hoodlums had already operated and escaped into the forest.

“Ten (10) persons were found dead, five (5) injured, five (5) motor vehicles and four (4) motorcycles were set ablaze”, the statement said in part.

The command’s spokesman noted that an unspecified number of cows were also rustled by the hoodlums. It is ostensibly clear that it was a reprisal attack carried out by the hoodlums against the community.

According to him, joint security forces have been deployed to the area to arrest the situation, pursue and arrest the fleeing hoodlums.

“The Command, therefore, commiserates with families of the deceased and the entire people of Katsina state over the unfortunate incident, assuring the people that government and security forces are mapping out formidable strategies toward containing and bringing to an end the menace of banditry in the state.” (Channels TV)