The Kogi State Police Commissioner, CP Yekini Ayoku, who was in charge of the election on Saturday, has instructed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in the Criminal Investigation Department to initiate a thorough investigation to apprehend the culprits responsible for the attack on INEC officials and Adhoc Staff, and bring them to justice.
A press statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP William Ayah, instructed the deployment of operational and tactical assets of the force to carry out a thorough search of the general area to apprehend the attackers and rescue the two victims who are still unaccounted for.
According to the statement, on March 19th, 2023, INEC officials and Adhoc Staff were attacked by armed hoodlums at Obajana while on their way from Kupa North and South Wards to the Constituency Collation Centre in Lokoja. The police escort attached to the team responded robustly and engaged in a fierce gun battle with the hoodlums.
Upon receiving the distress call, reinforcement teams were immediately mobilized and dispatched to the scene, and they also engaged the attackers. Due to the superior firepower of the police, the attackers were forced to flee with varying degrees of injuries.
The Commissioner of Police in charge of the Election in Kogi State, CP Yekini Ayoku, led the rescue team to the scene for an on-the-spot assessment. He then led the evacuation of the ninety-six (96) rescued victims, including INEC officials, Adhoc Staff, bus drivers, and others to the INEC Headquarters in Lokoja. The three injured victims were evacuated to the Federal Medical Center in Lokoja for treatment.
The Commissioner of Police commended the bravery displayed by the police officers, urging members of the public, particularly those in adjoining communities, to be vigilant and report anyone seen with bullet wounds to the nearest security formation or agency. He assured the public that the police would not relent in their efforts to combat criminal activities in the state.
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