A WAVE of deadly violence rocked Kogi State on Sunday morning as heavily armed gunmen launched coordinated attacks on two police checkpoints in Abugi village and Isanlu town, killing at least four police officers and a passerby in what security observers are describing as a calculated assault on law enforcement.
News Point Nigeria reports that the first attack occurred at about 10:30 a.m. in Abugi, a quiet settlement in Lokoja Local Government Area, when motorcycle-riding assailants stormed a police checkpoint along the Abugi–Gugurugi road. Eyewitnesses reported that the gunmen opened fire without warning, killing two police officers on duty and a yet-to-be-identified civilian who was caught in the crossfire.
Residents said the attackers shot sporadically into the air to scare away locals before seizing the slain officers’ rifles and fleeing the scene.
“The gunmen rode on motorcycle towards the police checkpoint. Suddenly, we heard heavy gunfire. People ran for safety,” a local resident, Danlami Nasir, told reporters. “When the shooting stopped, we saw two policemen and a young man lying dead.”
Barely 30 minutes later, the gunmen struck again, this time along Ilafin Road, Isanlu, in Yagba East Local Government Area killing two more policemen attached to the elite Mobile Police Squadron 70 (MOPOL 70).
According to witnesses, the brazen attack caused panic among residents, many of whom fled indoors fearing an escalation.
“If policemen with guns are no longer safe, then what is the fate of ordinary citizens?” lamented Babagbemi Oyekanmi, a community member. “These bandits are deliberately targeting police rifles to unleash more terror on us. It’s becoming a pattern, they did it in Egbe recently and now in Abugi and Isanlu.”
The latest incidents add to a growing list of attacks in Kogi’s Yagba axis. On September 9, five security operatives, three policemen and two vigilantes were killed in an ambush at Egbe in neighboring Yagba West Local Government Area.
In all cases, the assailants reportedly escaped with the weapons of the slain officers.
Reacting to the latest killings, the Executive Chairman of Yagba East Local Government Area, Hon. Dr. Joshua Dare, condemned the attacks in strong terms, describing them as “an assault on peace.”
“With deep shock and profound grief I received the sad news of the brutal killing of two gallant officers of the Nigeria Police Force attached to MOPOL 70,” Dare said.
“This tragic incident is not only an attack on the Nigeria Police Force but also an assault on the peace and security of our land. These officers died in active service; they are martyrs of peace and guardians of justice. We must honor them not just with words but with action, the enemies of peace must be defeated.”
The Kogi State Government had, only last week, accused some youths and local collaborators of aiding banditry in the area and vowed to deal decisively with anyone found complicit.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for Kogi State, SP William Aya, did not respond to calls or messages from journalists as of press time, leaving questions about the next line of action unanswered.
