In 24-hour, Unknown Gunmen Kill Policemen, Eight Others In Osun, Ekiti Bauchi

Gunmen were on the prowl on Sunday, killing six in State of Osun, 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, following the murder of six relatives in an unprovoked attack. Another person was injured.

State of osun 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 state of Osun 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”.

The state of Osun Deputy Governor, Adegboyega Benedict Alabi, called on the villagers to assist security agents with useful information that could speed up the arrest of the killers.

Alabi was accompanied by Commissioner for Finance Bola Oyebamiji and Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Mrs Abiodun Ige.

The Police Command in Ekiti State said it had launched investigation into the shooting at a commercial vehicle.

Police Public Relations Officer Sunday Abutu, said in a statement on behalf of Commissioner of Police, Tunde Mobayo, that the commercial vehicle and its passengers were attacked at a location between Ikere Ekiti, headquarters of Ikere Local Government of Ekiti State and Iju, a boundary town in Ondo State.

Abutu said the shooting at about 6:45 pm, led to the death of one of the passengers of a Sharon mini bus.

He implored people not to panic, saying the police were on top of the situation.

According to him, the Ekiti and Ondo Police Commands would join forces to ensure that the perpetrators were apprehended and brought to justice.

He enjoined anyone with useful information that could assist the Police to track down the perpetrators and other criminal elements to relay same to the nearest Police Station.

He added: “It should be noted that the driver and its passengers ran to Ilupeju-Ikere Divisional Police Headquarters in Ekiti State and reported the incident.

“They stated that while they were on their way from Ondo State, some unknown gunmen came out of the bush and accosted their vehicle around Iju in Ondo State.

“The driver explained that he was brave enough to have speedily escaped with his passengers from the scene.

“In the process, according to him, one of the passengers was unfortunately hit by a bullet and was rushed to the General Hospital, Ikere-Ekiti, where he died.”