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From John Adams, Minna, and Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin kebbi
Barely 24 hours after Niger State confirmed the killing of scores of gunmen across local government areas of Munya and Mariga, the gunmen have, again, killed a Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Umar Dakingari, in charge of Nasko Police Station in Magama Local Government Area of the state,
Also killed in the attack were two other policemen in the division, including four members of the local vigilante.
The attack occurred yesterday morning, as the gunmen were said to have invaded the divisional headquarters when the policemen and local vigilante were planning to counter an earlier attack by the terrorists who infiltrated the local government headquarters after raiding parts of Kebbi state.
It was learnt that the DPO got wind of the planned assault by the gunmen and immediately started mobilising his men for the counter offensive, unknown to the policemen that the terrorists had already surrounded the station.
The gunmen were said to have immediately launched an attack on the police station, killing the officers as they shot indiscriminately at them.
All the arms and ammunition belonging to the force were said to have been carted away by the rampaging gunmen.
The State Police Commissioner, Mr Monday Bala Kuyars, when contacted on phone, confirmed the incident and the death of the DPO.
Niger state Commissioner for Local Government and Internal Security, Mr Emmanuel Umar, who, also, confirmed the incident, said armed security men had been sent on the trail of the terrorists.
Meanwhile, communities in Shiroro local government area of the state have resumed the payment of levy to gunmen as part of agreement to enable them return to their homes to continue their farming business.
Each of the affected communities were said to be paying N3 million each as levy to the gunmen, to allow them return home after they were sacked over three months ago.
However, Gofa, Kutako and Nakurna communities had their levies rejected by the gunmen who accused them of killing their people during one of their (gunmen) invasions, and this has sent fears into the people of possible reprisals by the gunmen.
Also, the Kebbi State Police Command, yesterday, confirmed that four of its officers weren killed by the terrorists in Wars, Ngaski local government area of the state.
It was gathered that the terrorists stormed the Tomatoes company located in a village, Gafara, closed to Wars town, to kidnap the expatriates working in the factory.
While confirming the incident to Daily Sun via telephone chat, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Command, Nafiu Abubakar, said that 10 of the expatriates were rescued to Yauri town by police officers.
It was gathered that a DPO identified as Umaru Muhammed Dakingari, a former ADC to former Kebbi state governor, Alhaji Saadu Nasamu Dakingari, attached to Nasako LGA in Niger state, was also killed by the terrorists after they fled Wars in Kebbi state.
