Gunmen on Sunday killed five police officers in separate attacks across Yagba east and Lokoja LGAs of Kogi state.
Two officers were ambushed and shot dead at Atan, along Ilafin road from Makutu Isanlu to Odogbe Isanlu in Yagba east, while three others were killed in Kupa ward, Lokoja II constituency.
The incident marks the second deadly assault on security personnel in the area within two weeks. On September 10, three officers were similarly gunned down in Egbe, a border town near Kwara state.
Joshua Dare, chairman of Yagba east LGA, described the killings as “a calculated attempt by enemies of progress to destabilise our society and instil fear.”
“It is with profound shock and grief that we received the sad news of the brutal killing of two gallant officers of the Nigeria Police Force attached to MOPOL 70,” Dare said in a statement on Monday.
“These officers died in active service; they are martyrs of peace and guardians of justice.”
He urged security agencies to investigate and bring the perpetrators to justice, pledging continued cooperation with the Kogi state government, the police, and the military to safeguard the area.
