Vigilantes in Kogi State have killed 11 bandits terrorising various communities in Koton Karfe Local Government Area of the state.
The vigilantes also arrested a security officer and his accomplice alleged to be supplying weapons to the criminals and rescued abductees from the kidnappers’ den.
Onogwu Muhammed, spokesman for the state governor, Yahaya Bello, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists in Lokoja, the state capital, on Sunday.
According to Muhammed, security operatives acting on intelligence nabbed an officer of the Nigeria Security & Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Inspector Abdullahi Saidu, who alongside a friend supply weapons to bandits in the state.
The governor’s aide added that the NSCDC officer is also alleged to be providing security information to the criminals to undertake their heinous crimes.
“A group of bandits terrorising some parts of Koton Karfe Local Government Area of Kogi State have met their waterloo as officers of the state’s vigilante group killed 11 of them, arrested others while three kidnapped victims were rescued successfully,” the statement read in part.
“The successful operation by the security operatives was done in series and with a detailed account the Kogi State Vigilante operatives narrating that Alaidi, the ring leader was killed during the first camp attack.
“Other Members of the bandit group, Rabo and seven others were crushed.
“Madei and one other were killed in the second kidnappers camp while Umar escaped with gunshot injury but was recaptured.
“Five of the kidnappers arrested including the Civil Defence operative were in the custody of the Department of State Security for further investigations.”
He described the success recorded by the operatives as a “welcome development” and a proof that the security architecture in Kogi is strong and solid enough to quash all forms of criminal vices.
Muhammed said local vigilantes across the state have continued to record good results because the governor has continued to support their operations.
He listed cooperation from the citizens and synergy between the security operatives as reasons for the security successes in the state.
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