Ahead of the November 11 governorship elections, the Kogi State Police Command has killed three persons suspected to be political thugs on Tuesday morning during a gun duel with security agents.
The command spokesman, SP William Aya, who confirmed this in a statement, said two of the thugs were also arrested, while seven of them sustained varying degrees of injury.
Mr Ayah said the gun duel ensued when security agents were carrying out a search on a building where “political thugs are being housed by political parties”.
He said the search of the building became necessary based on a “series of credible intelligence on the repeated or recurring incidences of violence in Kogi East Senatorial District, which recently led to an attack on a police team and the disarming and snatching of one AK-47 rifle from one policeman early this morning, Tuesday, November 7, 2023”.
According to Mr Ayah, the special operation was carried out by the Nigeria Police, the State Security Service, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC.
“During the cordon and search operation, the team, even after identifying themselves, came under serious gunfire, and in response, three of the political thugs were gunned down and two AK-47 rifles recovered, while two members of the team sustained gunshot injuries and seven suspects were arrested,” the statement noted.
Mr Aya said raids on suspected criminal and thugs’ hideouts will be sustained to deny them safe havens to operate.
“The ongoing operation will be sustained until after the election, please,” he affirmed.
