Police operatives in Katsina State foiled two separate criminal operations over the weekend, rescuing a kidnapped woman unharmed and recovering 15 stolen cattle across incidents in Funtua and Musawa Local Government Areas. Police Public Relations Officer DSP Abubakar Sadiq-Aliyu detailed both operations in a statement issued Monday.
The first operation began Sunday after police received credible intelligence that armed bandits were moving rustled cattle across the border separating Funtua and Dandume LGAs. Acting quickly on the tip, the Divisional Police Officer at Funtua’s Central Police Station mobilized a team of operatives to intercept the suspects.
What followed was a firefight, with the bandits opening fire on approaching officers as soon as they arrived. The operatives responded with greater firepower, eventually forcing the suspects to abandon their position and flee into nearby forest. As police searched the area afterward, they found something beyond the stolen cattle they had come looking for, a kidnapped victim identified as Hafiza Rabiu, who had been held by the same group. She was rescued unharmed, given a medical examination, and reunited with her family. Officers also recovered seven of the rustled cows during the search.
A second, related operation unfolded days earlier on July 17, when police received a distress call reporting that armed bandits had invaded Kuru Village in Musawa LGA and made off with cattle from the community. The Divisional Police Officer for Musawa, working alongside members of the Katsina State Community Watch Corps, moved to the scene and tracked the suspects into a nearby bush.
Once again, the confrontation turned violent, with bandits firing on the joint security team before being overpowered and forced to abandon the stolen livestock as they fled. Eight cows were recovered in this second operation, though the suspects themselves remain at large, with police stating that efforts to track them down and bring them to justice are ongoing.
Commissioner of Police Ali Umar-Fage praised the officers involved in both operations for their courage and professionalism, according to the PPRO. He also extended appreciation to members of the public whose timely information helped make the operations possible, and used the moment to encourage residents across the state to keep supporting police efforts in the broader fight against crime.
