THE Kaduna State Police Command, Saturday, disclosed that but for the heavy gun battle against bandits in Maraban Jos, Igabi Local Government of the state, the assailants would have taken over armoury of the state’s divisional headquarters.
Assistant Superintendent of Police Mohammed Jalige, in a statement, disclosed that the bandits arrived in three Sharon-branded utility vehicles and shot sporadically in an attempt to access the Police weapon store.
Maraban Jos is also close to the Armed Forces Command and Staff College’s Cantonment, Jaji.
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Reports say at least three officers were injured during the attack. They included an inspector and two special constabulary. The bandits were overpowered and escaped with bullet wounds.
The ICIR contacted Jalige to validate the incident but he was yet to respond as of the time of filing this report.
“On the 23th July, 2021 at 2300hrs, there was an attack on Maraban Jos Divisional Police Headquarters where bandits in large number came in three Sharon utility vehicles and in their desperate attempt to override the personnel on duty shot sporadically in order to gain access into the divisional armoury but met professional and stiffer resistance from the personnel on duty.
“The gun duel between the bandits and the Station Guards lasted for some minutes, however; the superior and tactical firepower of the Police forced the bandits to retreat, of which some have sustained fatal bullet wounds.
“The Operatives were able to secure the armoury, the entire station and other adjoining facilities at the division,” he stated in a report by Punch. Jalige earlier confirmed the incident to the newspaper.
According to reports, travellers such as petroleum tanker drivers would often converge at the satellite town in the northern axis of Kaduna State, especially while on transit.
Kaduna has remained one of the most insecure states in the country due to varying degrees of criminalities such as kidnappings, abductions and killings, among others.
Insecurity has also forced most travellers to forgo the Abuja-Kaduna highway for the Abuja-Kaduna railway.
In December, 2020, 16 travellers were killed on the same highway. This is apart from about 66 persons who were killed by those Governor Nasir El-Rufai described as a ‘criminal elements’ in the state.
In June, the multiple incidents, however, forced some residents in the state to block the highway in protest against the criminalities, following the killing of four persons and the abduction of 49 people by the bandits in Angwan Madaki, Kakau community, Chikun LGA of the state.
The state government has repeatedly expressed concerns over the trend, yet insecurity has persisted.
Nevertheless, the Police announced the injured personnel were undergoing treatments.
Jalige noted the command had also commenced a probe into the foiled attack.
“Investigation into the incident has since commenced using the available evidence recovered from the scene as effort is geared towards apprehending the fleeing hoodlums.
“In view of the above incident, the Commissioner of Police Kaduna Command issued a stern directive to all Officers of the Command to ensure that proactive measures are emplaced to protect all Police facilities in the state and forestall the repeat of the ugly incident.”
Olugbenga heads the Investigations Desk at The ICIR. Do you have a scoop? Shoot him an email at [email protected]. Twitter Handle: @OluAdanikin