Gunmen suspected to be bandits on Friday killed the Divisional Police Officer serving in Magaji community, Majen-Gobir ward of Rimi Local Government Area of Katsina State, CSP Muhammad Sani Sagir.
Security sources disclosed that the incident occurred at about 10am after the DPO and his men mobilised to confront cattle rustlers operating in the area.
The officers were said to have advanced into a forest while tracking the fleeing suspects in an effort to recover stolen livestock when they were suddenly met with intense gunfire.
Sagir reportedly suffered fatal gunshot wounds in the exchange and was later confirmed dead.
Three other policemen sustained injuries, alongside a woman caught in the attack.
Although the assailants escaped with some livestock, local sources said one of the bandits was killed during the confrontation, while a number of rustled animals were successfully retrieved.
The wounded victims have been evacuated to a nearby hospital for medical attention.
Security operatives have since intensified efforts to apprehend the fleeing attackers as the community grapples with the aftermath of the deadly encounter.
