Insecurity: DPO, 4 Officers Shot Dead As Bandit Occupy Minna-Abuja Road

• Five police officers have been shot dead during a gun duel with notorious bandits along Kwakuti village, Minna-Suleja road
• It was gathered that a divisional police officer (DPO) identified as Mukhtar Sabiu was among the five deceased officers
• The incident transpired on Saturday, February 11, with residents across the neighbouring villages fleeing for safety

An emerging report has confirmed that suspected bandits have taken over the Minna-Abuja highway with a series of attacks leading to the killing of a divisional police officer (DPO), Mukhtar Sabiu.

As reported by the Daily Trust newspaper, the deceased DPO was an officer of the Paiko police division of the Niger state police command as he was killed alongside four other officers along Kwakuti village, Minna-Suleja road on Saturday, February 11.

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Reacting to this development, the Niger police command spokesperson, DSP Wasiu Abiodun recounted that:

“At about 1100hrs, information was received that armed bandits were sighted around Kwakuti-Dajigbe villages area of Lambata, in an attempt to attack some communities around Gurara LGA.

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

Eye-Witness recount incident

Meanwhile, some eye-witness who were present at the scene of the incident recounted what transpired during the gun duel between the police and the bandits.

Adamu Usaman, a commercial driver said:

“Our colleagues who were caught on road said bandits were in large numbers somewhere around Kwakuti with hundreds of cattle. So, they had to return to Minna and from there, many passengers postponed their journeys.

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"I did not leave until I heard that they had crossed to the other side. If you had gone to Jabi park yesterday, you wouldn’t have seen many passengers going to Minna.”

Further information gathered revealed that the suspected bandits also attempted an attack on Chibani market situated at the Munya local council of Niger state.

Legit.ng gathered that the bandits launched the attack on Friday, February 12 but were intercepted by joint security operatives who were present at the location of the incident.

Also, a resident who pleaded anonymity recounted that the bandits launched an invasion at Zazzaga community of Munya local council which led to a serious pandemonium among residents.

The eye-witness said their have been a series of evacuation in Munya, Paikoro and Shiroro Local Government Areas due to the incessant attacks by bandits in communities under the local government.

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Meanwhile, with weeks to the general elections, gunmen are still not done with attacks on INEC offices and police stations across Nigeria.

This time, the armed criminals launched an attack on the commission's office in Anambra state on Wednesday, February 1.

The gang also attacked a police state in Ojoto, Idemili South LGA, killed a youth and left another injured.

Source: Legit.ng