Kogi State has been rocked by two brutal attacks on police personnel on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of four officers and one civilian, along with the theft of multiple firearms. The Kogi State Police Command has since placed all its formations on red alert, instructing officers to remain vigilant in the face of escalating insecurity.

The first incident occurred around 8:00 a.m. at a patrol point along Ilafin-Odogbe Road in the Yagba East Local Government Area. Approximately 20 armed hoodlums ambushed officers of the 70 PMF Kabba, who were attached to the Isanlu Area Command. During this deadly assault, ASP Umar Suleman and CPL Bitrus Isaac were tragically shot dead. The attackers also seized two AK-47 rifles, identifiable by Breech Nos. 354313 and 524085, each loaded with 28 rounds of 7.62x39mm ammunition. Following the attack, patrol teams were immediately mobilized, and the bodies of the slain officers were evacuated to the General Hospital mortuary for autopsy. Joint security forces are actively engaged in intelligence gathering, surveillance, and extensive bush combing operations to track down the assailants, secure arrests, and recover the stolen weapons. A supervising officer has also been issued a query for violating the Inspector General of Police's directives regarding the closure of isolated nipping points.

Hours later, at approximately 11:30 a.m., a second ambush unfolded. Personnel from the 37 PMF, attached to the Abugi Community, were targeted while returning to their camp after duty. In this attack, Inspector Johnson David and Inspector Ehinola Oluwole were killed instantly. Their service rifles, an AK-47 (Breech No. 07009207) and another AK-47 (Breech No. 4014086), both loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition, were stolen by the gunmen. Tragically, a civilian passerby, Isah Gilad, was also caught in the crossfire and lost his life. Eyewitnesses from Abugi community reported that the gunmen, riding on motorcycles, stormed the police checkpoint, opening fire indiscriminately before escaping with the officers' rifles. Residents, like Danlami Nasir, recounted hiding for safety amidst sporadic gunfire. The victims' bodies were transported to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, for autopsy, as security forces intensify efforts to apprehend those responsible and retrieve the stolen arms.

The Executive Chairman of Yagba East Local Government Area, Hon. Dr. Joshua Dare, condemned the killings of the officers in Isanlu, describing the incident as an attack on both the Nigeria Police Force and the peace and security of the region. He emphasized that the fallen officers were "martyrs of peace and guardians of justice" and vowed that their sacrifice would not be in vain, urging unity against "enemies of peace." This recent spate of violence follows a similar incident on September 9th, where five security operatives, including three policemen, were ambushed in Egbe, a neighboring settlement. The Kogi State government has previously accused certain youths and individuals of aiding and abetting bandits in the area, labeling them as terrorists and promising decisive action.