Bandits have allegedly killed a Divisional Crime Officer in charge of Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State and burnt the police station.
An indigene of the area, Mohammed Ibrahim, told The PUNCH on the phone that the bandits, who were in large numbers and armed with sophisticated weapons, invaded Zurmi town, the headquarters of Zurmi LGA around 5 pm on Sunday.
Ibrahim said immediately the bandits arrived at Zurmi town, they went straight to the police station where they began to shoot sporadically, killing the DCO and injuring other police officers in the process before setting the police station on fire.
According to Ibrahim, the bandits attacked the police station following the killing of three of their men by the vigilantes.
He said, “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.
“They later killed the bandit they captured after beating him severely.
“For this reason, the bandits mobilised themselves in large numbers and headed to the police station in Zurmi, thinking that their kinsman, who was arrested by the vigilantes and the police, was in the custody of the police.
“Immediately they arrived at the police station, they opened fire, killing the DCO and injuring other policemen.
“They went into the police station to look for their kinsman but could not see him, as such, they set the place on fire.
“As I am talking to you now, the military personnel have arrived at the town while the bandits have since returned to the forest.”
Efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Yazid Abubakar, failed as calls placed to his mobile line did not connect.
