Laleye Dipo in Minna
Gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram elements on Sunday sacked Ibbi Police Station in Mashegu Local Government Area of Niger State, kidnapped two policemen and injured about nine others.
The bandits also raided the police station’s armoury and carted away some arms and ammunition.
Eyewitnesses told THISDAY that the gunmen carried out the raid on the police station 24 hours after an aircraft allegedly carried out a surveillance of the police station and the town.
According to the eyewitnesses, the gunmen, after the invasion of the police station, took the kidnapped policemen into the Ibbi forest reserves.
THISDAY also learnt that before the gunmen entered the forest, they kidnapped no fewer than 32 victims with nine of them from Ibbi town, and 15 others from Mazakuka town, while they killed two villagers.
It was gathered that a combined team of local vigilante from New Bussa and Mokwa towns went after the gunmen in the forest during which there was exchange of gunfire for several hours between the two groups.
Some of the bandits were reported to have been killed during the fierce encounter, while the commander of the vigilante was also killed in the encounter.
The remains of the commander of the vigilante group was being taken for burial as at the time of filing this report.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, did not respond to calls made to his cell phone.
Also, the Commissioner for Internal Security and Humanitarian Affairs, Mr Emmanuel Umar, could also not be reached to confirm the story.
