The Kogi State Police Command has launched a major operation to track down suspected attackers behind separate violent incidents that left several people dead, houses destroyed and residents displaced in parts of the state.
The attacks, which occurred in Edede Community and parts of Ibaji Local Government Area, have heightened tension among residents as security agencies intensify efforts to restore peace and arrest those responsible.
In a statement issued on Wednesday in Lokoja by the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Oyiza Afusat Saliu, the command disclosed that armed men invaded Edede Community on May 5 at about 4 p.m., killing a resident identified as Nasiru Alias.
According to the statement, the victim’s body was later found mutilated after the attackers fled the area.
The police also revealed that several houses, a vehicle and a motorcycle were set ablaze during the attack, forcing many residents to abandon their homes and seek safety elsewhere.
Saliu said tactical police teams were immediately deployed to the affected community, but operatives met the area deserted on arrival.
She explained that security operations had since been strengthened through collaboration between the police, the military and local vigilante groups.
“The Command has commenced intelligence-led operations, coordinated patrols and covert surveillance aimed at identifying and apprehending the perpetrators of the attack,” she stated.
The police spokesperson further confirmed another violent outbreak in Ibaji Local Government Area following a communal clash between Itale and Ishi communities on May 6.
According to her, the Divisional Police Officer in Ibaji received a distress call around 7:04 a.m. reporting violence between the two communities, prompting the immediate deployment of a joint security team comprising police officers, naval personnel, members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria and the Kogi State Vigilance Service.
Security operatives reportedly met widespread destruction on arrival, with several houses and bags of rice already burnt by suspected youths from Itale Community.
The joint security team, however, succeeded in dispersing the attackers and restoring calm in the troubled area.
Police said two male corpses were later recovered from different locations within Ishi Community, while another resident who sustained gunshot injuries from a pump-action rifle was rushed to the General Hospital in Idah for treatment.
Investigators also recovered 57 expended cartridges from the scene of the clash.
The command disclosed that several persons linked to the violence had already been identified and would face investigation and possible prosecution.
Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Naziru Bello Kankarofi, assured residents that the command remained committed to protecting lives and property across the state through intelligence-driven policing and rapid security response.
He urged residents to remain peaceful, avoid spreading false information and cooperate with security agencies by providing credible information that could assist ongoing investigations.
Leave a Reply