A vigilante group in Kogi State have neutralised 11 bandits terrorising various communities in Koton Karfe Local Government Area of the state.
The operatives also arrested a security officer and his accomplice alleged to be supplying weapons and rescued abductees from the kidnappers den.
Mr Onogwu Muhammed, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Kogi Gov. Yahaya Bello, disclosed this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lokoja.
According to Muhammed, information received revealed that security operatives acting on intelligence nabbed an officer of the Nigeria Civil Defence Corps (NCDC), Insp. Abdullahi Saidu, who alongside a friend supplies the criminals with weapons.
Muhammed added that the NCDC officer is also alleged to be giving 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 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,” the statement read in part.
He also noted that such security success by the operatives was a welcome development and a proof that the security architecture of Kogi was strong and solid enough to quash all forms of criminal vices.
He said that the Local Vigilantes across the state have continued to record good results because of the morale boost and support the governor has continued to give.
Muhammed also listed cooperation from the citizens and synergy between the security operatives as reasons for the security successes in the state.
He stated that the continued efforts of the state government to keep the momentum as the safest state in the country were so far yielding remarkable results.
The spokesman said that that the governor has severally made a commitment to securing the lives and property of the citizens and make the state a no-go-zone for criminal elements.
He reiterated that governments at all levels would continue to make efforts towards sustaining the drive for a peaceful Kogi by making every nook and cranny of the state unsafe for criminal elements and their sponsors. (NAN)
