GUNMEN suspected to be from neighbouring state have invaded Akpanyan Community in the Igala Mela Odolu Local Government Area of Kogi State, killing six persons.
Eyewitness account told our correspondent in Lokoja on Monday that the incident happened in the afternoon of Sunday in the Akpanya community located at the boundary of Kogi and Enugu States.
The source stated that the hoodlums, numbering more than 30, came in buses and started shooting sporadically in the town, making residents to scamper for safety.
It was gathered that no sooner that the hoodlums entered the community than the security agents, including the vigilantes, advanced and confronted them in a gun duel.
The melee that followed led to the death of six persons, among whom were members of the invading hoodlums.
Locals said the hoodlums managed to carry away two dead bodies of their members while retreating in a hurry to their state.
In its reaction, the Kogi State government stated that hoodlums coming from other states to terrorise the Akpanya community had crossed the red line of the state, as such, they would be confronted with heavy hands of the state.
The Security Adviser to governor Yahaya Bello, Commodore Jerry Omodara (retd.), who confirmed the incident, said the combined forces of security agents and the local vigilantes repelled the attack of the hoodlums from the neighbouring state.
He said Governor Bello had directed a total overhaul of the security of the area to ward off future attack of the outlawed group who takes delight in terrorising the people of Kogi in that area.
He said the group would enter that area of the state, raid markets, petrol filling stations and kidnap residents, including robbing of shops and others.
“The group came back to Akpanya community on Sunday to raid our people again. Our security agents and other stakeholders, including vigilantes, confronted them. They suffered heavy casualties. We lost a vigilante in the process,” said Omodara.
He said the state governor had advised the people of the area to remain calm, assuring that everything was being put in place for a lasting solution to cross border raid in the flank of the area.
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