…Scores of Bandits Neutralized


From John Adams, Minna

Armed Bandits on Satyrday afternoon invaded Kwakuti community in Paikoro local governemnt area of Niger state and killed a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Suprintended of Police, Murkhtar Saidu was killed along four other policemen.

Scores of Bandits were successully neutralized by the combined security agents deployed to the scene of the attack after they engaged the criminals in a firce gun battle for several hours.

Confirming the incidence in a statement in Minna on Sunday, the state Police Command Public Relation Officer, DSP Wasiu Abioun said the DPO and four other policemen lost their lives while engaging the Bandits in a gun battle at Kwakuti-Dajigbe village along Minna-Suleja highway.

According to him, “information was received that armed bandits were sighted around Kwakuti-Dajigbe villages area of Lambata, in an attempt to attack some communities around Gurara Local Governmnent Area of the state

“A Combined Team of police from Gawu-Babangida Divison and Paiko Divison, the military, and vigilante members were drafted to the scene, the hoodlums were engaged in a gun duel and scores of them were neutralized, while others escaped with bullet injuries.

“Regrettably, DPO Paiko SP. Mukhtar Sabiu and four other police personnel from both Divisions lost their lives during the gun duel”, the statement added.

The statement disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, Niger State Command, Ogundele J. Ayodeji, later led a reinforcement team to the scene of the attack and recovered the bodies of the deceased personnel.

The Commissioner of police equally condoles with the families of the affected personnel, while reassuring members of the public that the Command will not relent in the fight against banditry and other criminality in the State.

The statement further added that the attack came barely 24 hours after some Bandits in their numbers on Friday afternoon attacked a local market at Chibani in Munya Local Government Area of the state but were successfully repelled by the police tactical team and local vigilantes.

He pointed out that “Police tactical teams and vigilante members mobilized to the market where the hoodlums were routed and successfully repelled without any havoc, though the situation caused some panic but normalcy was restore.