Gunmen kill policeman, eight others in Osun, Ekiti, Bauchi

Gunmen were on the prowl on Sunday, killing six in Osun State, one policeman and his friend in Bauchi State, as well as a traveller in Ekiti State.

In Kaduna, troops foiled the attempt by suspected bandits to abduct more than 300 pupils from their school.

There was uproar in Wasinmi village, Ikire, in Irewole Local Government Area of Osun State, following the murder of six relatives in an unprovoked attack. Another person was injured.

Osun State police spokesman Yemisi Opalola, a Superintendent, said the killings were not related to herder-farmer crisis.

The Ekiti State Police command said it had begun investigation into the shooting at a commercial vehicle in which a passenger was killed.

In Bauchi, Inspector Muktar Ibrahim and his friend, Uba Samaila, were killed during an attack on the Safer Highways base of the police in Nabordo, Toro Local Government.

Uba was a son of the Ward Head of Nabordo.

Spokesman of the Bauchi Police Command, Ahmed Wakili, said Commissioner of Police Abiodun Alabi, had deployed more patrol teams in the area.

There have been attacks on police stations and killing of policemen in recent weeks by gunmen across the country.

A source in Osun said the gunmen invaded the village and started shooting at the family’s settlement. He said he suspected a retaliatory attack.

“We are yet to know the identity of those that attacked the family because after they carried out the dastardly act, they ran away before the arrival of security operatives,” he added.

Commissioner of Police Olawale Olokode, led security personnel to the village to prevent further attack. Deputy Governor Benedict Alabi also visited the bereaved family.

Osun Police spokesperson Opalola said: “The preliminary investigation by the Police shows that some yet to be identified gunmen, stormed, attacked and shot sporadically at a family of six at a settlement on the outskirts of Wasinmi Village, Ikire. Police operatives from Ikire Division and other law enforcement agencies were promptly drafted to the scene to prevent further attacks on residents and to arrest the perpetrators but the attackers escaped on sighting the security team.”

She added: “The Osun State Police Command wishes to state categorically that the unfortunate attack on a family at a settlement in the outskirts of Wasinmi Village, Ikire, Osun State, today 14th March, 2021, is not connected with any clash between farmers and herders.

“The Commissioner of Police, CP Olawale Olokode, who visited the scene of the incident for an ‘on-the-spot security assessment’, said a discrete investigations has commenced into the incident and manhunt for the perpetrators to bring them to justice.

“The CP appeals to the people, particularly residents of Ikire and its environs, not to panic but collaborate with the police by giving timely information that will assist in arresting the culprits.”

Alabi condemned the killings, which he described as disheartening and unfortunate because Osun is a peaceful state where residents are guided by Omoluabi ethos.

He said: “This is a very unfortunate incident and we are so sad about it as a government. It is shocking and strange to our communities.

“We are here on behalf of the state government to sympathise with you and we are assuring you that those criminal elements  that perpetrated this evil act would not go scot-free, we have ordered security agencies to swing into action and fish them out to face the wrath of the law”.