Many people have lost their lives on Thursday afternoon as some unknown gunmen numbering seven invaded first Bank and a police station in Isanlu, Kogi state.
An eye witness account who identified himself as Segun Thomas said that the incident occured around 12pm on Thursday.
Thomas a retired police officer, explained that the gunmen first attacked the Isanlu police station where eight policemen, the Divisional Police Officer in charged of the station , five policemen and one female police officer were killed and their weapons carted away.
He added that the robbers having enjoyed their free day at the police station proceeded to the local government branch of First Bank Plc where a female civilian who was at the bank to transact business was also killed by the gunmen bring the total causality to nine person .
While contacted the Police Public Relations Spokesman, William Ayah confirmed the attack.
According to him, the state police Commissioner CP Ayuba Ede has drafted the deputy commissioner of police incharge of operation to Isanlu to access the situation and then get back to him.
He mentioned that he cannot tell the press numbers of casualties during the attack.
Meanwhile Kogi state governor, Alhaji Yahay Bello has prevailed on security agencies in the state to go after the criminals who participated in Thursday’s bank robbery in Insalu and attack on Police Station which led to the death of some persons including police personnel on duty.
Governor Bello gave the directive in a statement released by his Chief Press Secretary, Onogwu Muhammed in Lokoja, the state capital.
While condoling family of those who lost loved ones in the unfortunate attack, Bello described the incident as unacceptable, dastardly and cowardly, implorig security operatives to apprehend the perpetrators.
Governor Bello charged residents of the State to readily assist the security operatives, in their own way, by providing useful information to help combat crime in the State.
He said the state’s hospitality should not be taken as gateway for criminal elements, assuring the people that government will protect them from the hands of criminals.
“Our open arms is no invitation to criminals. Our first responsibility as a government is to ensure the security of lives and property in the state. Bank robbery was a recurrence decimal in Kogi state before the current administration. Together with all security agencies in the state, we ended the regime of this form of crime since 2017, we will not allow this to reverse the gains we have recorded in protecting lives and property of our people”.
The Governor has also directed security agents to strengthen surveillance and intelligence gathering that could lead to arrest of the criminals.
