Police officers and a passerby were shot dead at a checkpoint in Abugi village, Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State, on Sunday morning.
The gunmen later struck at a checkpoint along Ilafin Road, Isanlu in Yagba East Local Government, killing another two police officers.
According to reports from the Abugi community, the gunmen, riding on a motorcycle, stormed the police checkpoint around 10:30am and opened fire on the security operatives, killing them instantly.
Also, a young man whose identity is yet to be established was reportedly caught in the crossfire.
Eyewitnesses disclosed that the armed men shot sporadically to ward off any counterattack before seizing the policemen’s rifles and escaping to an unknown location.
A village resident, Danlami Nasir, said, “The gunmen rode on motorcycles towards the location of the police checkpoint in the village along Abugi-Gugurugi road in the morning. Suddenly, we started hearing the sound of gunfire in that direction.
“Many residents hid in a safer place to avoid being hit by stray bullets. Unfortunately, when the gunfire died down, two police officers were spotted dead at the scene of the incident, while another man in mufti was found dead.”
At Isanlu, the locals disclosed that the incident happened around 11am on Sunday when the two policemen attached to MOPOL 70 came under fire.
According to a resident, Babagbemi Oyekanmi, the incident created panic among the residents.
“If the policemen with guns are no longer safe, then the residents are worse off in a community infested with bandits. The bandits are after guns to unleash terror on us. In the recent attack at Egbe, the hoodlums left with the rifles of the killed police officers. Same in the reported early morning attack at Abugi.”
Executive Chairman of Yagba East Local Government Area, Hon. Dr. Joshua Dare, condemned the killing of the police officers.
“With deep shock and profound grief, I received the sad news of the brutal killing of two gallant officers of the Nigeria Police Force, attached to MOPOL 70, who lost their lives today, Sunday, 21st September, 2025, in a deadly ambush by unknown assailants along Ilafin Road, Isanlu.”
“This tragic incident is not only an attack on the Nigeria Police Force but also an assault on the peace and security of our land. It represents a calculated attempt by enemies of progress to destabilise our society and instil fear in our people.
“These two officers of MOPOL 70 died in active service; they are martyrs of peace and guardians of justice. We must honour them with words and ensure their sacrifice is not vain. The enemies of peace must be defeated, and Yagba East must continue to stand strong in unity and resilience,” he said.
Recall that on 9th September, five security operatives, including three policemen and two members of Vigilante, were killed in an ambush at a checkpoint and a duty post respectively at Egbe, a settlement in the neighbouring Yagba West local government.
In a statement last week, the Kogi State government accused youth and other individuals of aiding and abetting bandits in the axis.
While labelling them as terrorists, the government vowed to deal with such people.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the state police command, SP William Aya, has yet to respond to our inquiry over the fresh killings.
He neither answered calls nor responded to text messages as of the time of filing this report.
