THE police in Benue State, on Sunday, said operatives killed 14 bandits who attacked a police station.
Spokesperson of the Benue State Police Command Kate Anene disclosed the development in an interview with The ICIR.
Anene said the bandits were killed in a foiled attack on the Katsina-Ala Police Station on Sunday morning. An unspecified number of bandits were said to have sustained injuries during the incident.
Shedding light on the attack, Anene said the command had earlier, on Saturday, arrested and detained some suspected bandits at the Katsina-Ala Divisional Police Station for further investigations.
However, on Sunday morning, around 1:00 am gunmen ‘numbering about 50′ launched an attack on the station in an attempt to free the suspects from police custody.
Anene explained that operatives at the division’s office were already on the alert and engaged the bandits in a gun duel.
According to her, 14 of the bandits were gunned down during the exchange of gunfire while others escaped with bullets wound.
“On June 19, 2021, five bandits were arrested and detained at Kastina-Ala Police Division for investigation and prosecution. On June 20, 2021 at about 0130hrs, more than 50 other gang members of the detainees mobilised and invaded the police station to rescue their counterparts.
“Officers at the division who were already at alert engaged them in a gun duel and were able to subdue the bandits,” Anene said.
She noted that operatives of the command were on the trail of the escaped bandits in order to bring them to book.
Anene further disclosed that the arrest of the suspected bandits was part of series of operations embarked on by the command to check banditry in Kastina-Ala Local Government Area of the state.
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via [email protected], on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94