DCO and six others killed as bandits attack police headquarters in Zamfara

Bandits have allegedly killed a Divisional Crime Officer and six others in an attack on police divisional headquarters in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State. 

An indigene of the area, Mohammed Ibrahim, told Punch 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, February 18, 2024.

It was also gathered that several shops were set ablaze by the bandits.

Ibrahim said immediately after 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 the witness, the bandits attacked the police station following the killing of three of their men by the 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,” he said. 

“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.”