One killed as gunmen attack Kogi police command

From Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja

The Okene Area Police command in Kogi State was on Sunday night attacked by gunmen numbering over 30, leaving one of them shot dead.

According to an eyewitness account, the hoodlums which invaded the police command at about 10 pm on Sunday night were chanting Allahu Akbar.

The police personnel on duty in conjunction with the local Vigilante members were said to have immediately repelled the attack killing one of them while others fled.

Confirming the incident , the police public relations officer Willy Aya in a statement said the state police commissioner have deployed his men to immediately fish out other hoodlums that fled the scene of the incident.

The statement reads in parts: ‘On the 06/02/2022 at about 2200hrs, some armed hoodlums attack the Okene Area Command Headquarters with Sporadic gunshots and explosives chanting ‘Allahu Akhbar’.

“The Officer’s on duty gallantly repelled the hoodlums, shot dead one of them which forced them to fled before the arrival of back up teams from the neighboring Divisions.

“The Commissioner of Police has deployed re-enforcement team to the area consist of Counter Terrorism Units, Police Mobile Force, Intelligence team as well as Quick Response Unit along with the Military and other security Forces with a view to track down the perpetrators and bring them to book.

“The Commissioner of Police while assuring the law abiding citizen of the State of his level of commitment in discharging his mandate in synergy with other heads of security agencies in the State to ensure a safe and secure environment for all to go about their lawful activities.’ the statement added.

It will be recalled that about two months ago armed robbers invaded two old generation banks in yagba west killing three people.

Some of the hoodlums were however arrested by local hunters and members of the state Vigilante group.