Gunmen kill Army officer, abduct wife, mother in Kogi

Gunmen suspected to be armed robbers have killed a military officer along Lokoja-Okene highway.

The deceased officer whose name was given as Capt GSM Abubakar serving at 353 artillery Ojo Cantonment, Lagos, was said to have been killed on Sunday when he was travelling in his Honda civic car.

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His wife and mother were said to have been abducted by the gunmen during the operation.

The death of the army officer was said to have caused panic among motorists plying the Abuja- Lokoja-okene highway on the fateful day as many of them avoided the route when the news of the incident spread.

His remains which was deposited at the Federal Medical Centre Lokoja mortuary has been moved to his hometown in Niger state for burial, Daily Trust learnt on Tuesday.

A source close to the mortuary unit said the family of the deceased and some men in military uniform came to move the remains of the slain army officer at about 1.45 pm on Tuesday afternoon in a military ambulance.

Meanwhile, it was gathered that a detachment of military personnel at the Army Record Lokoja and SARS operatives are still combing the forest to rescue the abducted wife and mother of the slain officer.

Daily Trust reports that there is a spike of criminal activities along the Abuja-Lokoja and Lokoja-Okene axis of the highway recently resulting in the abduction of many travellers and death of others.

When contacted, the State Police Command could not immediately respond to our reporter’s enquiries as calls put to the Public Relations Officer, DSP William Aya’s cell phone was not answered.