TWO officers of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) were this morning killed by suspected bandits in Kadobe village, Jibia Local Government Area of the state.
The names of the officers were given as Umar Bagadaza Kankara and Lauwali Dutse.
Reports say that a gunfire exchange that followed the incident was said to have left a number of bandits dead, with scores of them sustaining gunshot wounds.
A soldier, who was among reinforcement to the area sustained gunshot wounds on his thigh, is currently receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre, Katsina.
A security source said NIS has a base at the village where the incident occurred, with the area seen as safe haven for many herdsmen and their animals.
“The incident occurred at Kadobe village. Fulani herdsmen had brought their cattle there for pasture and for security, as Immigration has a base there,” the source said.
“But the bandits decided to attack the place yesterday night after several efforts to do so in the past had proved abortive.
“The sad thing is that people in the community said they saw strange faces lurking around in the evening of the incident, but they refused to alert the security on the situation.
“When the bandits attacked, they started shooting sporadically and at our men, and our men fired back also. They killed two of our men, but we killed several of theirs too.
“Several of the bandits sustained gunshot wounds, but they were able to escape with the bodies of their slain members, and had managed to rustle cows belonging to the herdsmen.
“Soldiers who were in patrol on the streets had rushed to the area in reinforcement and there was serious gunfire exchange, in which one soldier was shot on his thigh.
“The soldier is currently receiving treatment at the federal medical center, Katsina. The bodies of the slain officers has been handed over to their families for burial.”
When contacted, a spokesperson for Immigration in the state, Illyasu Kasimu, said he was not authorised to speak on the matter.
Kasimu, however, said that he would revert should the command react to the said incident.
