Gunmen have killed the aged mother and younger brother of a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Katsina State, Kabir Lawal.
While the name of the DPO’s mother was not known as at press time, the deceased brother was identified as Usman.
They were killed when gunmen stormed their family house, yesterday, in Dutsin-Ma Local Council of the state.
It is unclear why the gunmen targeted the home of the DPO, but sources linked the incident to vendetta.
Early July this year, terrorists killed one Aminu Umar, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), during a raid of their hideout by security operatives.
Before his death, Umar had led several operations to check terror activities in Dutsin-Ma and environs.
While some of the recorded terrorists’ attacks targeted policemen or their duty posts, the Dutsin-Ma incident is the first time a police officer’s family members are targeted.
Guardian reports that the incident was said to have raised fears among residents of the community, even as security personnel were reportedly drafted to the community, yesterday.
Like most states in the North West, Katsina is faced with security challenges brought about by activities of terrorists, kidnappers, rustlers and other criminals.
Most of the crimes perpetuated by these enemies of the state occurred in frontline local councils, especially those close to the dreaded Rugu and other forest reserves.
Hundreds of residents have lost their lives, others kidnapped, maimed or had their domestic animals rustled in recent months in the state. Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, SP Gambo Isah, was yet to respond to inquiries on the incident as at press time.
Also, a Super Tucano fighter jet Air Task Force (ATF) has killed unspecified number of Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists in the Damboa axis of Sambisa Forest in Borno State.
The terrorists were neutralised by seven bombs dropped at the Kau-Shoro’a forest hideout by the Nigerian military.
Confirming the incident, yesterday, in Maiduguri, a counter-insurgency expert in the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, disclosed: “The insurgents were killed on November 27, 2022, while they were moving in a convoy of gun trucks to attack the nearest military base.”
According to Makama, the fighter jet succeeded in bombing a Hilux van conveying some fighters, killing all of them.
He added that the remains of the terrorists were scattered all over the hideout, as survivors fled with gunshot wounds.
A military source in Maiduguri vowed that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), operating with ground troops, would sustain the offensive against the terrorists in the North East.
