Terrorists in Katsina have killed an assistant commissioner of police, ACP Aminu Umar, in an ambush in Dutsinma, Safana LGA, where a convoy of presidential advance team, going to Daura, was also attacked.
It was not clear whether the attack on Umar was the same reported by Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu.
In an earlier statement, Shehu spoke about an ambush and a shooting incident near Dutsinma, against the Daura-bound convoy carrying President Buhari’s Advance Team of security guards, protocol and media officers.
The team was expected to be in place in Daura and await Buhari’s arrival on Wednesday, few days to Eid-el-Kabir.
“The attackers opened fire on the convoy from ambush positions but were repelled by the military, police and DSS personnel accompanying the convoy.
“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”, Shehu said.
But the spokesperson of the Police command in Katsina, SP Gambo Isah, said ACP Umar died in the ambush also in Dutsinma.
He also said that another policeman died.
Isah did not mention the President’s advance convoy, but most possibly he and Garba may have been reporting the same event.
Isah gave a more graphic account of the terror attack.
“Today, July, 5, 2022, at about 11:30 a.m, a distress call was received that terrorists numbering over 300 on motorcycles, shooting sporadically with AK 47 rifles and General Purpose Machine Guns, ambushed ACP Umar and his team.
“The late Area Commander with members of his team were on clearance operation of recalcitrant bandits/terrorists, in Zakka forest, Safana LGA of the state.
“Consequently, the Area Commander and one other, gallantly lost their lives during a cross exchange of gun fire,” he added.
Isah said that the Commissioner of Police, Idrisu Dabban-Dauda had expressed deep sympathy to the family of the deceased officers.
He also prayed God to grant the deceased abode in Jannatul Firdausi.
The commissioner reaffirmed the commitment of the police to the ongoing onslaught against terrorism in the state “until it is completely routed out.”
Meanwhile, Katsina State Government said bandits have burnt down two primary health centres in Batsari Local Government Area of the state.
Dr Shamsudeen Yahaya, the Executive Secretary, Katsina State Primary Health Care Development Agency disclosed this to newsmen on Tuesday in Katsina.
According to him, 69 out of the over 1,800 healthcare centres in the state were also temporarily closed as a result of insecurity in some local government areas.
“Most of the health facilities in the area were taken over by the miscreants, and the solar refrigerators provided in such facilities have been converted to use by the bandits.
“The affected primary healthcare facilities are located in different areas of Jibia, Safana, Batsari, Faskari, Sabuwa and other frontline LGAs of the state,” he said.
Yahaya also said some of the health workers were kidnapped, but later released.
The agency’s boss said the situation has increased request for redeployment by health workers in the affected areas.
Yahaya, however, said the government had concluded plans to renovate one health centre in each of the 361 wards across the state.
He also expressed the commitment of the government to complete the rehabilitation of dilapidated health centres in the state.
Yahaya said that the state government would recruit 272 health workers to tackle the problem of manpower shortage in the health sector.
