Metro

Armed men storm Benue police station, kill 3 cops, cart away firearms

Published

8 years ago

October 3, 2016

rmed men storm Benue police station, kill 3 cops, cart away fire power

Three policemen were reportedly killed and one other is said to be in critical condition when gunmen stormed Igumale Police Station in Ado Local Government Area of Benue State.

The armed men, who launched the attack days after Benue State Police Commissioner, Bashir Makama, directed heads of Police Commands and Divisions to intensify patrols in the state ahead of the coming x-mas celebration also broke into the armoury of the station and carted away all arms therein.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a senior Ado council staff said; “I personally got a call from one of the elders in Ogbe village, which is just a stone throw from the station, at12:35a.m., that there was heavy bombardment of the village as if a war had started.

“After receiving that call, the gunshots continued for about 10 minutes and nobody was courageous enough to come out of his home.

“At that point, we all started calling security agencies in the area, including the Divisional Police Officer to find out what the problem was because it was as if the entire Igumale was under siege.

“About 15 minutes after the shootings stopped, people came out and discovered that the Igumale Police Station had been attacked and there was blood everywhere. One of the policemen on duty was shot dead and three others badly wounded and in critical condition.

“According to the account of those who lived near the station, they heard the sound of two motorbikes conveying some persons to the station and suddenly there was heavy bombardment of the station after which the men mounted their bikes and zoomed off through Adiga village, towards Okpoga.

“We immediately called in the council ambulance and conveyed them (wounded) to Saint Daniel Hospital, Otukpo. Unfortunately, before we got to the hospital, the second officer died.

“We gathered that the other two, who were also in critical condition because their bodies were riddled with bullets, were moved from Otukpo to the Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi, by police authorities for proper attention. One of them died before noon.

“As I speak with you, our people are in shock and in fear. Although more security personnel had been drafted to Ado and the Police Commissioner had visited, there is tension because nobody knows the motive of the attackers.”

Moses Yamu, Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, when reached confirmed the incident but couldn’t give details as he said he was yet to receive full details of the incident.

RipplesNigeria …without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now