Nigeria Police Force foils banditry and cattle rustling attacks in Katsina

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Public safety

Keypoints

• The Katsina State Police Command recovered two AK-47 rifles, 42 rounds of live ammunition, and 70 rustled animals during separate operations.
• A bandit attack on a Fulani settlement in Jibia LGA was repelled, resulting in the recovery of 20 cows and 40 sheep.
• Operations in Musawa and Matazu LGAs led to the recovery of two military jackets and a motorcycle after gun duels with suspects.
• Several suspects reportedly escaped with gunshot injuries following a confrontation at a hideout in Dangani Village.
• Commissioner of Police Ali Umar-Fage reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property across the state.

Main Story

The Nigeria Police Force has foiled separate banditry and cattle rustling attacks in Katsina, recovering rifles, ammunition and 70 rustled animals.

Police spokesman, DSP Abubakar Sadiq-Aliyu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Katsina. He said the operations were conducted under Commissioner of Police, Ali Umar-Fage, with support from other security agencies and vigilantes.

The first attack occurred on Monday at about 5 p.m. in Danya Bakwai, Jibia Local Government Area, where about 10 armed bandits rustled 20 cows and 40 sheep. Following a distress call, an Armoured Personnel Carrier patrol team, supported by the military and local vigilantes, blocked escape routes and forced the suspects to abandon the animals.

Another operation followed on Tuesday morning in Musawa and Matazu Local Government Areas after a distress call from Gwarjo Village. Patrol teams engaged bandits in a gun battle before advancing to Dangani Village, identified as a criminal hideout. During the exchange of gunfire, several suspects escaped with gunshot injuries.

Items recovered from the scene included two AK-47 rifles, six empty magazines, 42 rounds of live ammunition, a TVS motorcycle, a GSM handset, and two military jackets. Surveillance and patrols have since been intensified to apprehend the fleeing suspects.

The Issues

• The use of motorcycles by bandits allows for high mobility in rural areas, complicating the ability of security forces to intercept them before they reach remote hideouts.
• Cattle rustling remains a significant economic threat to pastoralist settlements, often serving as a primary source of funding for bandit groups.
• The presence of military uniforms and high caliber rifles among the recovered items indicates the sophisticated level of equipment utilized by these criminal elements.

What’s Being Said

• “The joint security team blocked the bandits’ escape routes and engaged them in a gun duel. The suspects abandoned the rustled animals and fled due to superior tactics and firepower,” said DSP Abubakar Sadiq-Aliyu.
• “Following the distress call, the Divisional Police Officer mobilised an Armoured Personnel Carrier patrol team to the scene,” the spokesman stated regarding the Jibia operation.
• “We remain committed to protecting lives and property across Katsina State,” said Commissioner of Police Ali Umar-Fage.
• “Another exchange of gunfire ensued, during which several suspects escaped with gunshot injuries,” Sadiq-Aliyu noted regarding the Musawa encounter.

What’s Next

• Police and local vigilante groups will conduct combing operations in the forests around Musawa and Matazu to track suspects with gunshot wounds.
• Recovered livestock will be processed for return to the rightful owners in the Danya Bakwai settlement.
• Security agencies are expected to maintain heightened surveillance along known escape routes in the border local government areas.

Bottom Line

Coordinated efforts between the police, military, and local vigilantes in Katsina have resulted in the recovery of significant weaponry and rustled livestock, though several armed suspects remain at large following intense gun battles.