In an early-morning operation on Sunday, men of Professional Hunters and Local Hunters in Kogi State’s Okehi Local Government Area shot and killed two alleged kidnappers while rescuing two victims.
King Habeeb, the Special Adviser for Media and Publicity for the Okehi LGA, said in a statement on Monday that the operation at Upogoro Hill was prompted by reliable intelligence reports from members of the Okehi LG Joint Taskforce.
He claims that the gang terrorized the state’s Okene-Lokoja and Okene-Auchi routes before being apprehended, and that during that time, one of the kidnappers was killed during a gunbattle while another was captured but eventually gave up before being taken to the hospital.
Mallam Sanni Uwaiti and Ramatu Tukur, both from the toll gate region near Okene and Ajoakuta, were among the two victims the hunters also freed from the kidnappers.
“We shall leave no stone unturned in a bid to rid Okehi LGA and our environs of all forms of criminality,” the Executive Chairman of the local government area, Ohiare, said.
The state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, had earlier ordered the LGA chairman to take safety measures after an attack on the divisional police headquarters last week resulted in the death of an inspector who was on duty.
Ohiare commended the governor for making the safety of Kogi residents’ lives and property his top priority.
