…Police said the breakthrough was achieved through a joint operation involving the military, with aerial support from the Nigeria Police Force Air Wing.
KOGI, NIGERIA- The iNews Times | The Kogi State Police Command says a renewed security offensive has led to the elimination of many bandits and the disruption of their criminal networks, though details of the operation’s location were not made public.
In a statement released on Sunday, the command’s spokesperson, William Aya, disclosed that the breakthrough was achieved through a joint operation involving the military, with aerial support from the Nigeria Police Force Air Wing.
According to Aya, the sustained clampdown on banditry across the state has produced significant results, with criminal hideouts overrun, networks dismantled, and numerous bandits neutralised. He noted that the operation is being executed with determination and professionalism, aided by precision air strikes from the police air unit.
The command called on residents to remain alert and promptly report anyone spotted with gunshot wounds, injuries, or suspicious conduct to the nearest police station. It also urged the public to assist security agencies by supplying reliable information on criminal elements within their communities.
“Security is a collective responsibility, and together we can make Nigeria safer,” Aya said.
He further provided the command’s control room contact lines—07038329084 and 08152195982—for reporting suspicious movements anywhere in the state.
The police acknowledged a recent surge in criminal activities in parts of Kogi, with suspected bandits carrying out attacks in several communities. Between October and December, two churches were attacked, leading the Obaro of Kabba, Oba Solomon Owoniyi, in conjunction with the Christian Association of Nigeria in Kabba, to suspend all religious activities indefinitely.
More recently, residents of Zango in Lokoja reported sporadic gunfire on Saturday, after which four members of a family were allegedly abducted. An elderly woman and a child were later released by the fleeing suspects.
