Terrorists have again struck in Kogi State killing the Vice Principal of Government Secondary School Iluke identified as Gani Anifowose and two others identified as Jacob Alhassan, aged 70 years; and Sunday Ayele, aged 6 years in Kabba Bunu Local Government Area of the state.
The incident which happened on Wednesday morning at about 10am saw many residents scampering for safety.
Arise News gathered that the gunmen who came in their numbers with sophisticated weapons on bikes made an attempt to kidnap students writing the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination in Iluke before they were repelled by combined security forces such as local vigilantes, hunters, Police, and the Nigerian Army.
The Chairman of Kabba Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State Barr. Zacchaeus Dare Michael who confirmed the incident to Arise News via telephone interview said authorities had relocated the students to Iluke community to avert any attack since their school was earlier located in a place prone to attack.
According to him, troops of the Nigerian Army stationed at Suku-Kiri Bunu, a nearby community, also swiftly responded to the distress call and arrived in Iluke Bunu, successfully foiling what could have resulted in the mass abduction of students and staff in Kogi State.
He added that one of the suspected bandits was neutralized while several others sustained degrees of injuries after abandoning the students when they were marching them to the forest.
Residents in Iluke community have continued to express concerns over the growing insecurity in the area, as some residents are still unaccounted for following the invasion, raising concerns that additional victims may have been abducted or displaced during the attack.
The Kogi State Police Public Relations Officer ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat confirmed the incidents in a statement on Wednesday.
The statement reads in part:
“At about 10:00 a.m., the Command received distress information that a large number of heavily armed bandits, operating on about forty (40) motorcycles, had invaded Government Secondary School, Iluke Bunu, with the suspected intention of abducting students and other residents of the community.
“Upon receipt of the report, the Divisional Police Officer, Kabba ‘A’ Division, immediately activated a coordinated security response by mobilizing personnel from the Division, alongside operatives of the Police Mobile Force and the Command’s Tactical Teams. Other security personnel already deployed in the area, including military personnel and local vigilante groups, were equally alerted and joined the operation.
“The combined security operatives engaged the hoodlums in a fierce gun duel, forcing the criminals to flee into the surrounding bush. Preliminary findings indicate that there is presently no conclusive evidence of a successful mass abduction of students or other residents. However, investigations and ongoing assessments are continuing to ascertain the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
“The Command commiserates with the families of the deceased and assures them that every effort is being made to bring the perpetrators to justice.
“During the exchange of gunfire, one of the bandits was neutralized, while a security operative attached to the joint team sustained gunshot injuries and are currently receiving medical treatment.
“The Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Command, has ordered sustained bush-combing and confidence-building patrols across the affected area. Joint security operatives comprising the Police, military personnel, and local vigilantes are currently conducting intensive operations aimed at apprehending the fleeing criminals and preventing any further threat to lives and property.
“Members of the public are to remain calm, vigilant, and should continue to support security agencies with credible and timely information that will aid ongoing operations. Further developments will be communicated as investigations and operations progress”.
This recent attack in Iluke community is coming barely 10 days when suspected bandits stormed Aiyegunle Igun Bunu in Kabba Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State killing three persons and kidnapping over 30 persons including travellers in two 18 seater buses.
Although the military had reported that 23 of the kidnapped victims had since been rescued, the whereabouts of others are still unknown as community source said many are still held in captivity.
Frederick Odimayo
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