By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
No fewer than nine persons were in the late hours of Tuesday night allegedly killed and scores injured by unknown gunmen that attacked Bagana community in Omala local Government Area of kogi state.
A local sources told our correspondent that, the gunmen invaded a provision shop located in the heart of the village and opened fire killing four persons on the spot and on shooting spree in which many people who were running to escape were hit by stray bullets.
He disclosed that he counted five dead bodies from his hiding which included one Alias Barrister, a diesel oil dealer and a dispensary staff of the Local Government Health Center at Ogba, residing in Bagana.
Confirming the incident, the Force public Relations officer of the state command DSP William Aya, said , one Usman Salifu called the DPO on phone around 9.30pm on Tuesday that his shop has been attacked by gunmen leading to the death of his sales boy, Bashir Sule and three other customers, while scores sustained various degrees of injury.
He added that on receipt of the distress call, the DPO mobilised his men to the scene and evacuated some of the injured to the Hospital for treatment, adding that the force has commenced manhunt to bring the perpetrators to book.
He said peace has returned and assured the people to return home to continue with their legitimate businesses.
Another villager while recounting his ordeal to our correspondent said they were woken up from their sleep by the gunshots as they scampered into the bush for safety lamenting at the incessant killings of innocent citizens and wanton burning of their houses by the marauders since 2014.
He added that the village had lost over 300 of her citizens and had lost property worth billions of naira to the unending attacks by the militias allegedly invited from Benue and Nasarawa states.
He said , the crises which started between the Agatu militias and Fulani herders from Benue state has rendered the town to a ghost , as the efforts by the state government to curtail the carnage proved abortive.
