Gun duel claims six bandits, two police officers in Plateau

Six armed bandits and two police officers have died, as the criminals engaged the police in a gun duel at Mangu Local Council of Plateau State.

A witness told The Guardian that on Monday, August 23, some armed robbers blocked the road at Dertim in the same village and robbed many people. They reportedly left and returned by 7.00p.m. The witness, a middle-aged man, was shot, but did not die.

“The man called the police that armed robbers were operating within the vicinity. The police came when the robbers were operating at Bimper community. The police surrounded the armed robbers and engaged them. Sadly, two policemen died during the exchange of gunfire with the robbers,” he added.

It was at that juncture that the reinforcement of the Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) came at Bimper.

“When the robbers noticed the arrival of the special taskforce, they went and hid in a large corn farm at Bimper in Kombul district. But the soldiers opened fire on the farm and killed all the six gangsters, who were identified as children of Musa Aliyu, a resident of Bimper,” he added.

Confirming the incident, the police spokesman in Plateau, Gabriel Ubah, stated in Jos, on Monday, that the command received credible information about the activity of a notorious syndicate of gunrunners at Kwoi village, in Mangu. He added that three AK-47 rifles with Breach numbers 868, 106076 and 123487 were recovered.

His words: “Regrettably, one Insp. Abdulrahaman Isah, who is the Commander of IGP’s Intelligence Response Team (IRT) based in Mangu and one Hassan Mohammed, a local vigilante, gallantly paid the supreme price.” 

SIMILARLY, Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 8, Ede Ayuba, has confirmed the killing of two police officers by armed robbers in Kogi State.

They were reportedly killed by unknown gunmen at a checkpoint in Kabba, headquarters of Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi. According to a witness, the policemen were gunned down at the Origa checkpoint along Kabba–Iyara road about 5.00p.m. on Monday evening.

The robbers were said to be coming from the Ekiti axis and were probably heading towards Abuja en route Kabba before the tragic incident.

The police officers had reportedly flagged down a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) at the checkpoint when the robbers opened fire on two of them and speed off.

A source added that three other policemen, who managed to escape, sustained various injuries, as the fleeing robbers shot sporadically to pave their way for their escape. Ayuba said the armed men were on motorcycle.