A Divisional Crime Officer and six others were allegedly slain by bandits during an attack on the police divisional headquarters in Zamfara State’s Zurmi Local Government Area.
Mohammed Ibrahim, an indigene of the area, informed reporters that the bandits, who were in big numbers and armed with modern weaponry, attacked Zurmi town, the capital of Zurmi LGA, around 5 p.m. on Sunday, February 18, 2024.
According to reports, the criminals also set fire to many shops.
Ibrahim stated that as soon as the bandits arrived in Zurmi, they rushed straight to the police station and began shooting erratically, killing the DCO and injuring other policemen before setting fire to the station.
According to the witness, the bandits attacked the police station after three of their men were killed by vigilantes.
“The vigilante group went to the forest with the police and attacked the bandits’ camp where they killed three of the bandits and captured one of them,” stated the police officer.
“They eventually killed the bandit they apprehended after severely assaulting him. As a result, the bandits gathered in huge numbers and marched to Zurmi’s police station, believing that their kinsman, who had been arrested by vigilantes and police, was in police custody.
“When they got at the police station, they opened fire, killing the DCO and wounded several officers. They entered the police station to hunt for their kinsman but were unable to find him, so they set fire to the building.
“As I am talking to you now, the military personnel have arrived at the town while the bandits have since returned to the forest.”
