Gunmen suspected of being bandits assassinated the state’s Divisional Police Officer in charge of the Maru Local Government Area, SP Kazeem Kareem, and Inspector Rabiu Umar early Sunday morning.
A large number of gunmen armed with sophisticated weapons attacked the Maru Police Division with the intent of destabilising security and facilitating the abduction of community residents, said the command’s spokesperson, SP Mohammed Shehu, in a statement.
The statement said, “On March 5, 2023, around 2am, gunmen in large numbers, armed with sophisticated weapons attacked Maru Division with intent to destabilise the security architecture of the town in order to easily attack and abduct members of the community.
“However, the late DPO and team gallantly put up a strong resistance to repel the attackers.
“Unfortunately, himself and Inspector Rabiu lost their lives while protecting the public.
“The Commissioner of Police has deployed reinforcement to pursue the fleeing hoodlums and arrest them for investigation and prosecution.”
He said the Deputy Commissioner of Police Operations, DCP Iliyasu Kwarbai, led another police tactical team to the scene for an on-the-spot assessment and confidence building patrol.
The statement noted that CP had reassured the general public of the Command’s continuous commitment to protecting lives and property in the state.