Kogi State authorities have confirmed an attack by suspected bandits on Ayetoro-Kiri community in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area, reporting that four of the assailants were killed during a fierce gun battle with local hunters.
The Commissioner for Information and Communications, Hon. Kingsley Femi Fanwo, stated that the attack targeted the rural farming community as criminal elements displaced from Niger and Kwara States sought refuge in Kogi.
“The sustained onslaught in neighbouring states has pushed these criminals into our territory. Local hunters rose to the occasion and engaged them in a gunfight, neutralising four bandits while others escaped with injuries,” Fanwo said.
The Commissioner added that 13 residents were kidnapped during the raid, assuring that security operatives, alongside the hunters, are pursuing the fleeing bandits with efforts underway to rescue the victims.
Troops from the 12 Brigade of the Nigerian Army and personnel of the Kogi State Police Command have been deployed to the area, with the Department of State Services providing intelligence support. Fanwo further appealed for air support from the Nigerian Air Force to complement ground operations.
Governor Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo is reportedly engaging service chiefs to ensure aerial reinforcement over the forest to aid the Army, Police, and hunters in securing the area.
Commending the bravery of local hunters, Fanwo reassured residents that the government remains firmly in control of the situation.
“The criminals now target soft spots like churches, but with our coordinated security network, their movements are restricted. We are winning this battle,” he said.
