The Kogi State Police Command is having the names of suspects, believed to be behind the deadly gun attacks on three villages in the Bassa Local Government area of the state on April 22.
The spokesman of the command, ASP. William Aya, who made the disclosure in Lokoja on Monday said the fleeing suspects had also been identified by villagers.
He said that the list of the suspects was given to the Commissioner of Police, Mr Ali Janga, when he visited the affected villages to assess the situation.
Aya stated that the police had commenced a manhunt for the suspects, whom he said, would be arrested soon to face justice for their action.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that three communities: Kpanche, Ozugbe and Biroko in Bassa Local Government Area were savagely attacked by gunmen in the early hours of April 22.
No fewer than 16 people, including the Madaki of Biroko, Alhaji Mohammed Umar, were killed during the attacks.
The attackers were, however, repelled by a combined team of policemen and soldiers, who also killed six of the bandits.
According to Aya, Janga has ordered reinforcement of police presence in the villages as part of measures to guarantee the safety of lives and property.
Also, Capt. Weri Finikumor, Public Relations Officer of the Headquarters Command of Army Records, Lokoja, said in a statement that items recovered from the attackers included two AK 47 rifles with five magazines.
According to the statement, other items are 25 rounds of ammunition, one G3 rifle with one magazine, 188 rounds of ammunition and locally-made guns.
He said that the recovered items had been handed over to the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Bassa Local Government Council.
Many communities in North Central Nigeria have been contending with recurring attacks by gunmen in recent times.
Scores of communities have been destroyed by the attackers with hundreds of people, especially farmers killed.
Nigeria has faced unrelenting attacks by jihadists since 2009 but the armed forces have been dealing ruthlessly with the bandits. (NAN)
