In a brutal reprisal, bandits terrorists have slain a Divisional Crime Officer (DCO) overseeing Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State and set ablaze the local police station.
According to eyewitness Mohammed Ibrahim, the assailants, heavily armed and numbering in large groups, stormed Zurmi town, the administrative center of Zurmi LGA, at approximately 5 pm on Sunday.
Ibrahim recounted how the attackers breached Zurmi town and immediately targeted the police station, unleashing a barrage of gunfire that resulted in the death of the DCO and injuries to several other officers, before setting the facility ablaze.
The motive behind the assault, Ibrahim explained, stemmed from a recent operation by local vigilantes and police forces against a terrorist encampment in the forest. Following the operation, which resulted in the death of three terrorists and the capture of one, the terrorists mobilized to retaliate, believing their comrade to be in police custody.
Upon reaching the police station, unable to locate their captured associate, the assailants resorted to violence, leaving destruction and loss of life in their wake.
The attack on the divisional headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force in Zurmi town has left seven individuals feared dead, including a courageous police officer. Babangida Zurmi, a resident deeply concerned for the safety of his loved ones, appealed for urgent assistance amid severed communication lines with relatives.
Initial reports suggest the attack may have been in retaliation for the killing of two individuals by local vigilantes, igniting the wrath of the bandits who spared no mercy as they razed the police headquarters and looted shops in Zurmi.
In a tragic parallel incident, another faction of bandits operating in Maradun Local Government Area claimed four lives and abducted several individuals while firing indiscriminately on civilians clearing bushes along the road.
Yazid Abubakar, the police spokesperson for Zamfara State, confirmed the distressing events, assuring the public of ongoing efforts to gather information and provide a comprehensive assessment of the situation.
