Bandits on Sunday reportedly killed a Divisional Police Officer, DPO, Mukhtar Sabiu, and four others, in Paiko, headquarters of Paikoro Local Government Area of Niger State.
A resident in the area, Musa Idris, who said he narrowly escaped, said the victims were shot dead along Kwakuti village, Minna-Suleja road on Saturday.
Confirming the incident in a statement on Sunday, the Niger State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, said the DPO and his men were killed in a gun duel.
He said the division received information at about 1100hrs, that armed bandits were sighted around Kwakuti-Dajigbe villages area of Lambata, in an attempt to attack some communities around Gurara LGA.
The divisional police headquarters has mobilised a team of officers and men from Gawu-Babangida Division and Paiko Division; military and vigilante operatives were also drafted to the scene.
He said the police engaged them in a gun duel and repelled the attack with scores of them being neutralized, while others escaped with bullet injuries.