Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja
Gunmen reportedly dressed in Fulani attire are said to have invaded Egume community in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, killing one individual and abducting three others.
The assailants are said to have carried out the attack at a hotel bar known as Royal Garden Relaxation Spot, along Anyigba-Ankpa highway,
An eyewitness account said the gunmen stormed the bar where people were relaxing and started shooting sporadically as customers took cover.
It was gathered that the deceased was allegedly struggling to escape before he was shot dead, while one of his friends who was sharing the same table with him also received gunshot injuries and now receiving medical attention in one of the hospitals in the area.
Our correspondent gathered that the hotel manager’s 18-month-old baby boy, a brother of late victim, and one lady were among those abducted by the unidentified gunmen.
Security sources told journalists that the incident which happened at about 8:30 in the evening, left one Anthony Monday, a cashew dealer from Ate-Iji Anyigba dead, while the lucky ones took to their heels for cover.
Before the arrival of policemen at the scene of the incident, the source said the kidnappers had left the hotel with the victims, leaving the late Anthony Monday dead in a pool of blood.
Barely 12 hours after the incident, it was gathered that the kidnappers started demanding for ransom, saying the kidnapped toddler had given them a sleepless night with his crying.
Reacting to the incident, the National President of Egume Ome Descendants Union, (EODU), Alhaji Muhammed Lawal Ibrahim, expressed shock and appealed to policemen to ensure that the perpetrators are apprehended and punished.
Ibrahim called on the people of Egume to remain calm and go about their normal businesses as efforts are being put in place by law enforcement to protect lives and property in the community.
Confirming the incident, the Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Command, Ede Ayuba Ekpeji, said: ‘I received a report from Egume Division that three unknown armed men attacked Royal Garden Relaxation Spot shooting sporadically.’
‘Immediately, the DPO mobilised operatives to the scene where he met one yet to be identified body lying in pool of his blood. My men moved him to the hospital where he was confirmed dead. The body was deposited at the hospital for autopsy.’
He advised members of the public to always report promptly any suspicious movement, objects as well as activities of criminal elements within their neighborhood to the police or any other security agencies in the State.
The police commissioner reiterated the Command’s commitment to guarantee security of lives and property in the State, saying that he has dispatched a team of operatives to hunt for the hoodlums and to ensure they are arrested and made to face the law.
