Gunmen, cultists kill police inspector, corporal, vigilante in Rivers, Plateau

Gunmen suspected to be herders have killed a police inspector, Yakubu Dauda, and seized his rifle in the Chwelnyap Rim community of Riyom Local Government Area, Plateau State.

Also in Rivers State, rampaging cultists have killed a police corporal identified as Francis Friday and a member of a vigilante group, OSPAC, Ngozi Ipah, beside the Ahoada East Council Secretariat.

Confirming the Plateau State incident to journalists in Riyom during a visit by the fact-finding committee set up by Governor Caleb Mutfwang to investigate the causes of violence plaguing the state, David Tsado, the DPO of Riyom, said the incident occurred on Monday while officers were on an operation in the area.

Tsado narrated that the gunmen, who arrived in large numbers, ambushed the officers, resulting in the death of one officer during the operation.

He explained that the gunmen terrorizing the area were well-armed, adding that despite mobilizing their men after the attack, they were unable to overcome the gunmen’s resistance because they were well armed.

“Yesterday, my men were on ground in the community following a report of security threats in the area not knowing that some gunmen laid an ambush.

In the process of tracing the gunmen, they opened fire on our men and one of us, inspector Yakubu Dauda, unfortunately lost his life. His copse has been deposited in the hospital.

“Today, the commissioner of police deployed more men to take the fight to their den, but it was another heavy encounter. It got to a stage that we have to retrieve,“ the DPO said.

The chairman of the fact finding committee, Major General Nicholas Rogers, while speaking on the committee’s visit to the area, said they were at the council to find out what went wrong resulting to the incessant killing and attacks in the area, adding that “it is a very bad situation. We are here to identify the problems and gathered suggestions from stakeholders on who to would relevant find lasting solutions.

Youth and community leaders informed the committee that many villages were attacked, adding that in the last one month, about nine persons were killed and 33 houses burnt, hoping that the establishment of the community would bring an end of the attacks.

It was gathered that the attackers in Rivers State, said to be members of the Iceland cult group, stormed the OSPAC office and opened fire on the operatives.

The Rivers State Police Command confirmed the development and described it as a brutal attack, noting that it happened at about 8pm on Monday.

The police spokesperson, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, said the armed assailants were led by two men, Umegbewe Kingsley aka Gutam and one Opaka.

“During the assault, OSPAC operative Ngozi Ipah was shot. While escaping, the assailants also gunned down a police officer, Corporal Francis Friday, who was on special duty at the Secretariat with the Special Intervention Squad (SIS)”, the statement said.

It said the police patrol teams led by the Divisional Police Officer arrived at the scene, but the attackers had already fled.