Security operatives in the early hours of Wednesday gunned down bandits while repelling an attack by armed bandits on Tse Gaagum village in Ukemberegya Council Ward of Logo Local Government Area in Benue State.
Locals said that the incident happened after the security operatives gave the bandits a hot chase following a distress call they received earlier from the villagers.
The villagers had alleged that the bandits invaded their surrounding at 4am on Wednesday and that they quickly put a distress call to the security operatives in the area who responded promptly and pursued after them.
“The bandits stormed the village at about 4:00am on Wednesday and forcefully took away motorcycles and valuables belonging to villagers.
“Luckily, a resident of the village made a call to policemen who raced to the area and succeeded in chasing them and in the process killed two of them and recovered a Bajaj motorcycle,” a local who preferred anonymity told journalists in Makurdi.
Contacted, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security and Internal Affairs, Chief Joseph Har, corroborated the villagers, saying the prompt response of the security operatives saved the day.
Har said, “I got the information that security men in Logo who received distress call from residents of Tse Gaagum village early hours of today (Wednesday) shot two of the bandits who attacked the community.
“They succeeded in recovering a Bajaj motorcycle belonging to one of the villagers. Other items including a locally fabricated AK-47 with six live ammunition, a matchet, assorted charms were also recovered from the gunmen.”
The security adviser added that the body of the dead bandits had been recovered and deposited at NKST morgue in Ugba in Logo LGA while efforts are being made to trail the fleeing suspects.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for Benue Command, SP Catherine Anene, did not respond to calls put through her telephone for comments on the incident.
