The deceased and his team members were ambushed while on a clearance operation in Zakka forest, Safana Local Government Area of Katsina State, on Tuesday.

Until his death, Umar was the Area Commander of Police in Dutsinma.

Sources within Zakka community said that police and bandits clashed at a village called Yauni in Zakka district of Safana.

Our vigilantes here told us that there will be a combined team of policemen with vigilantes from Kurfi heading to Yauni village to face bandits and they joined the team.”

Later we heard that there was a fatal clash and some police officers and some vigilantes were shot by the bandits.

“However, about seven military vehicles have provided reinforcement in the area; we later saw some police vehicles conveying some bodies but I could not identify the corpses because I was not close to them,” he said.