Police rescue 20 of their men and retrieve 16 corpses from armed bandits in Zamfara State

NIGERIA Police Force (NPF) commanders have revealed that 16 of their men were recently killed by armed gunmen in Zamfara State while a further 20 who were kidnapped in the raid have just been released.

In what was a terrible day for the NPF, armed gunmen attacked a police station in Mahanga Forest in Birnin Mogaji in Zamfara State last week, catching the police off guard. NPF spokesman, Jimoh Moshood said the corpses of the 16 policemen were found after a rescue operation was carried out by the Police Joint Intervention Force.

Over the weekend, the NPF said it had killed 104 bandits and destroyed 50 hideouts located in three camps across Zamfara State and also recovered 500 cattle and 79 sheep during the raid. To tackle the activities of the bandits, the inspector-general of police, Ibrahim Idris asked deputy inspector-general in charge of operations, Habila Joshak to lead the team during the Zamfara raid.

Mr Moshood said: "We mounted a search and rescue operation embarked on by the Police Joint Intervention Force to rescue the missing police personnel after the November 29 onslaught. This led to an attack in which 104 armed bandits were killed, 50 hideouts in three camps were destroyed and 500 cattle and 79 sheep were recovered from the bandits.

"It also resulted in the successful rescue of 20 policemen alive, while 16 police personnel were found dead after the rescue operations. Police special forces personnel, counter terrorism units, Police Mobile Forces, Federal Sars personnel with three surveillance patrol helicopters have commenced an on-going operation being strengthened to rout the remnants of the armed bandits and other criminal elements in the caves and mountains in some locations in Zamfara State.”

While consoling the families of the deceased policemen, Mr Idris asked that they be given befitting burials and ordered the prompt processing and payments of the life assurance benefits and other entitlements to their families. He also urged members of the public with any information or in distress in any part of the state to call the Police Joint Intervention Control Centre through several numbers including 08037025670, 08033210966, 08033312261, 08123829666, 09053872244, 07082351758, 08091914752

Mr Moshood added: “The inspector-general of police is saddened with the death of the gallant officers whom he describes as heroes of the force. Their demise is a great loss to the Nigeria Police Force and our dear nation, Nigeria and the supreme price they paid for the security and safety of the country will not be in vain.”

He stressed that the NPF will not relent in ensuring that armed banditry, other violent crimes and criminality is brought to an end Zamfara State despite the death of the 16 policemen. Of late, Zamfara has increasingly become a lawless part of the country, which armed gangs and cattle rustlers taking over its rural areas.