ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Kogi State Commissioner of Police, CP Akeem Yusuf, says a group of hoodlums on Thursday opened fire on the joint security team.
The security team according to him, were on an operation at Ejule in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State, when the incident occurred.
He said this during a press conference at the Police headquarters, Lokoja, noting that the joint security team were on the trail of a criminal gang leader called Kabir Bala.
Bala has been terrorizing the areas with his group of hooligans when the security operatives came under attack.
He said the gang leader, who is also known as Okwo, was neutralised during the exchange of fire while many of his gang members escaped with varying degrees of injury.
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He said the decision to carry out the joint operation against Bala was taken at a State security meeting on 20 June, 2023 due to the upsurge of criminal activities in the State.
Items recovered by the joint operation team from the house of the gang leader include one AK 47 Rifle with three fully loaded magazines; six locally fabricated weapons, two phones and charms.
The Police Commissioner added that the state government had on October 2018 granted pardon to rehabilitate Bala.
“However, the said Kabir Bala remained an unrepentant criminal with lots of atrocities traced to him, which include dealing in illegal arms, kidnapping and killings in the state,” CP Yusuf said.
Reports from the area said an ‘okada’ rider, identified as Azeez and a 24-year-old housewife, Atima Abdullahi, were killed by stray bullets in the process.
Also, a family house in the town was reported to have been burnt to ashes by the invading gunmen in the process.
Among others, the criminal gang’s leader was charged for “the burning alive of Mrs Salome Abuh, a PDP woman leader in Ofu LGA, in her residence on 18 November, 2019; attack on troops of Nigerian Navy and dispossessed them of four rifles at Aloma village on 4 March, 2022; killing of two Igala youths, Umoru Areh and Unekwu Sule, on 20 April, 2022 at Ejule and killing of five Fulani.”