Yekini Jimoh in Lokoja
Two rival groups engaged themselves in a fierce gun duel in Anyigba, Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State killing one Ismaila Yakubu Agba, a youth leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the process.
Although the cause of the exchange of gunfire, which led to the death of the youth leader was yet to be established, THISDAY however, gathered that the unidentified trigger happy gunmen started shooting around 10.a.m. yesterday morning, bringing all activities in the area to a standstill for several hours.
A source disclosed that the late APC youth leader who was the head of the cashew revenue drive collection team in the area, on behalf of the state government, met his untimely death during an exchange of gunfire at Agwudoko area of the city.
The source said the militant group suspected to be from rival leading political parties in the town stormed the enclave of the other party over a yet-to-be-disclosed reasons, which turned out to be a free-for-all fight, leading to many sustaining bullet wounds of various degree.
According to some residents of the town, the mayhem may not be unconnected to the November 2 governorship election where both sides are said to be doing a rehearsal in the battle of supremacy that lies ahead. “We were indoors for hours to avoid the incident of stray bullets. Though the state police command moved in when they got winds of the incident, at a point, we don’t even know who was in charge, as the guns continue to boom unabated”, a resident explained.
However, the Kogi State Police Public Relations officer, (PPRO), Williams Aya, confirmed the incident, saying that only one person (Ismaila Yakubu Agba) died and one Alhassan Idoko, sustained injuries from the said attack.
He added that it was not a political attack but a case of a culpable homicide perpetrated by unidentified gunmen, adding that the command is already on their trail.
He said the police personnel was drafted to the scene shortly after the brother of the slain person reported the matter to the police command in the town, adding that normalcy has returned to the
vicinity.
