News
Several injured, property destroyed as gunmen invade Kogi community
Gunmen attacked Ewune-Egume village in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, injured several people and destroying property worth millions of naira.
According to an eyewitness, the hoodlums stormed the community in trucks on Saturday, November 20 and started shooting sporadically.
Residents of the village abandoned their property and ran into the bush for safety, leaving the hoodlums to destroy some household appliances, water tanks, among others.
The armed men also drank all the beers and beverages in some restaurants and destroyed empty bottles.
It was gathered that the chief of the community, the Ochai Onu-Egume, Chief Olema Akpali, fainted on hearing gunshots and was rushed to a clinic in the area.
The community leader, Mr Matthew Audu, who spoke to PUNCH said the gunmen invaded the community in five trucks with AK 47 rifles, went away with some domestic animals, 200 Jericans of palm oil, 13 motorcycles and set ablaze other motorcycles while other valuable properties were destroyed.
Audu said that people of the community had reported several threats by this group to the Divisional Police Office Egume and their incessant invasions on Ewune farms.
He added that the attackers were suspected to be a group of saw millers working for an Ejule man in Ofu LGA, Kogi State.
He said when the alleged saw millers of Ejule were confronted over the wanton and indiscriminate felling of their Iroko and economic trees, they allegedly claimed that the government of Governor Yahaya Bello was aware of their activities in the forest.
It was also gathered that these groups of people has been invading the community at will, drinking beer in their restaurants freely, killing their domestic animals whenever they were hungry and leaving the community unchallenged.
In his reaction, the chairman of the security committee of Egume Community, Hon. Gowon Omale condemned the destruction at the Ewune-Egume community, describing it as a terrorist act.
He said efforts must be intensified to forward the matter to the Authority concerned to avoid future occurrences.
Spokesperson of the State Police Command, DSP William Ayah, who confirmed the attack, said one person was shot and presently receiving attention.
The PPRO said the police are working assiduously to arrest the perpetrators of the dastardly act, assured calm has since returned to the community.
