Gunmen Kill Nine Persons, Injure Others in Kogi

Ibrahim Oyewale

At least nine persons have been allegedly killed and several others received varying degree of injuries when unknown gunmen attacked Bagana community in Omala Local Government Area of Kogi State.

THISDAY gathered the gunmen invaded a provision shop located in the heart of the village and opened fire killing four persons on the spot on Tuesday evening.

Sources said that the attackers then went on shooting spree in which many people who were running to escape were hit by stray bullets.

He disclosed that he counted five dead bodies from his hiding which included one Alias Barrister, an diesel oil dealer and a dispensary staff of the Local Government Health Center at Ogba, residing in Bagana.

Confirming the incident, the Force Public Relations Officer of the state command DSP William Aya, said, one Usman Salifu called the District Police Officer (DPO) on phone around 9.30pm on Tuesday that his shop had been attacked by gunmen leading to the death of his sales boy, Bashir Sule and three other customers, while scores sustained various degrees of injury.

He added that on receipt of the distress call, the DPO mobilised his men to the scene and evacuated some of the injured to the Hospital for treatment, adding that the force has commenced manhunt to bring the perpetrators to
book.

He said peace has returned and assured the people to return home to continue with their legitimate businesses.

Another villager while recounting his ordeal to our correspondent said they were woken up from their sleep by the gunshots as they scampered into the bush for safety.

He lamented at the incessant killings of innocent citizens and wanton burning of their houses by the marauders since 2014 and called on the Federal Government and kogi state government and security agencies to come to their aid.

He added that the village had lost over 300 of her citizens and had lost property worth billions of naira to the unending attacks by the militias allegedly invited from Benue and Nasarawa states.

He said , the crises which started between the Agatu militias and Fulani herders from Benue state has rendered the town to a ghost , as the efforts by the state government to curtail the carnage proved abortive.

According to him, about five months ago, the same shop which belonged to Musa Salifu one of the sons of an embattled Onu Otutubatu Alhaji Salifu Anyebe was attacked in which he sustained gunshots wounds.

The locals while recounting their ordeal noted that since December 2014 , the village was on two occasions violently attacked resulting to the death of scores and burning down of houses.

They said, the incessant killings by the militias forced the people to evacuate their families and property from their ancestral homes to become internally displaced persons IDP in neighbouring villages and to some states, lamenting that no sooner that lives have started returning to the community than the orgy of killings resumed again.