The Gombe State Police Command has confirmed the killing of three suspected bandits and the rescue of kidnapped victims following a fierce gun battle with security operatives in border communities of the state.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Buhari Abdullahi, who disclosed this in a telephone interview on Sunday, said the confrontation followed an attack on Garin Galadima in the Lambo community in the early hours of Saturday.
Abdullahi revealed that security forces had earlier foiled an attempted bandit attack on Friday, thanks to heavy deployment of personnel across vulnerable areas.
“On Friday, they tried to attack. Unfortunately for them, we had made serious deployments around the axis of Pindiga, Billiri, and Shongom, which are the state’s border communities. The bandits couldn’t make it,” he stated.
He explained that the criminals later struck at Garin Galadima around 3am on Saturday, killing one person and abducting five others.
“On Saturday morning, by 3am, they went to Garin Galadima, Lambo, where they killed one and abducted five,” the PPRO said.
According to him, the attack prompted an immediate response from the police, hunters, and other security outfits, who mobilised and pursued the fleeing bandits.
“This led to a serious exchange of fire. We neutralised three bandits, recovered two AK-47 rifles, four magazines, and four motorcycles. We also rescued three of the victims,” Abdullahi said.
He disclosed that one of the rescued victims, who sustained gunshot wounds during the operation, later died at the hospital.
The police spokesperson added that 120 rounds of live ammunition were recovered from the suspects.
Abdullahi assured residents that security operatives were still combing the area to apprehend the remaining bandits, noting that many may have escaped with injuries.
The command reiterated its commitment to safeguarding lives and property, especially in border communities vulnerable to criminal attacks, and called on the public to continue providing timely information to security agencies.