He said that on March 13, operatives of the command attached to Operation WHIRL Punch (OPSWP) acted on credible intelligence that bandits had blocked the Galadimawa-Tumburku road of the Giwa local government area.
The police stated that its operatives, led by DPO Kidandan, quickly moved to the scene, engaged the bandits in a gunfight and stopped their heinous raid, forcing them to flee in disarray into a nearby bush with possible gunshot wounds.
Police Commissioner Yekini Ayoku commended the effort of the operatives and assured the public that the command would continue to be resilient in ensuring that criminal elements are denied the space to launch attacks.
Banditry has become a major security challenge in Kaduna State, with dozens of people being killed, kidnapped and robbed by bandits in recent months. The state government has been working with security agencies to tackle the problem, but the situation remains precarious.
The police have been conducting operations against bandits in the state, with varying degrees of success. In February, the police announced the arrest of 30 suspected bandits and the recovery of weapons in the state. Earlier in January, the police had also killed two bandits and arrested four others during a gunfight in the state.
Security experts have called for a multi-pronged approach to tackling the problem of banditry in Kaduna and other parts of the country. They have advocated for intelligence-led operations, community policing, and dialogue with bandits who are willing to surrender.
The federal government has also been urged to tackle the root causes of banditry, such as poverty, unemployment, and lack of education. Some analysts have also linked the problem to the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the country, which they say must be curbed through effective border control and strict gun laws.
Meanwhile, residents of Kaduna have expressed concern over the rising spate of insecurity in the state. They have called on the government to do more to protect lives and property and to provide relief for those who have been affected by banditry and other forms of violence.
The government has responded by deploying more security personnel to the state, but some residents say that this is not enough and that the root causes of the problem must be addressed.