THE Presidency has described as sad and unwelcome, the shooting incident near Dutsinma in Katsina State, at the convoy of cars carrying the advance team of security guards, protocol and media officers ahead of President Muhammadu Buhari’s trip to his hometown, Daura for Sallah.
The President’s Special Assistant on Media, Mallam Garba Shehu, who confirmed the incident in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, said the attackers opened fire on the convoy from ambush positions, but were repelled by the military, Police and Department of State Service (DSS) personnel accompanying the convoy.
He added: “Two persons in the convoy are receiving treatment for the minor injuries they suffered. All the other personnel, staff and vehicles made it safely to Daura.”
This is as bandits, on Tuesday, July 5, ambushed and killed an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in charge of Dutsinma Area Command in the state, Aminu Umar Dayi, during an exchange of fire between his men and vigilante group on one side, and terrorists on the other.
It was gathered that Dayi was missing in action while the fire exchange lasted, with initial suspicion that the terrorists may have abducted him.
But spokesperson of the state Police Command, Gambo Isah, who confirmed the incident, said: “Today 06/07/2022 at about 1130hrs, a distress call was received that terrorists numbering over 300) on motorcycles, shooting sporadically with AK-47 rifles and General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG), ambushed ACP Aminu Umar, Area Commander, Dutsinma and his team, while on clearance operation of recalcitrant bandits/terrorists in Zakka forest, Safana LGA of Katsina state.
“Consequently, the Area Commander and one other gallantly lost their lives during a cross exchange of gun fire.”
Meanwhile, terrorists have forced the state government to close down 69 primary healthcare facilities in some frontline local councils.
Executive Secretary of the state Primary Healthcare Development Agency (PHCDA), Dr. Shamshudeen Yahaya, who disclosed this while speaking to newsmen, listed some of the councils as Jibiya, Safana, Batsari, Sabuwa and Faskari, among others.
The state, like many others in the Northwest, is faced with security challenges brought about by activities of terrorists, bandits, cattle rustlers and kidnappers, with hundreds of people killed, abducted or maimed and thousands of domestic animals rustled over the years ago.
Yahaya explained that terrorists also set ablaze two of such health facilities in Batsari council after there were renovated and stocked with drugs and other medical equipment, lamenting that the terrorists have abducted some health personnel posted to such frontline councils in recent times, forcing some of them, mostly women, especially midwives and those saddled with the responsibility of taking care of women-related health issues, to apply for redeployment.
