Security Agents Kill Notorious Criminal, Recover Weapons In Kogi

Kogi State Security Joint Task Force has killed a notorious criminal gang leader, Kabir Bala popularly called Okwo during a gun duel with the security operatives at Ejule in Ofu local government area of Kogi State.

The commissioner of police, CP Akeem Yusuf, who disclosed this while briefing the newsmen  at the police command headquarters in Lokoja on Thursday, stated that Bala was an unrepentant criminal who was once granted pardon by the state government.

Yusuf said at about 04.30 am on Thursday at Ejule, Bala and his gang members on sighting the joint security team, opened fire on them and started shooting sporadically.

He added that the security operative team engaged the hoodlums, stressing that the said Bala was neutralized in the process while other gang members escaped with varying degrees of injuries.

The commissioner said following the decision by the Kogi State security meeting on the upsurge of criminal activities in the state, the state government had in 2018 granted pardon in prerogative of mercy as part of rehabilitation to the notorious gang leader, Bala in Ejule, Ofu local government area.

Among the offences allegedly committed by the notorious leader and his gang members were the burning alive of late Mrs Salome Abu, a PDP woman leader in Ofu LGA in her residence on 18th November, 2019 at Ochadamu; killing of two lgala youths: Umoru Areh  and Unekwu Sule on 20th Aprii, 2022 at Ejule and  killing of five Fulani herders; killing of Ibrahim, Haruna and Shuaibu on Alloma Road, Ofu LGA in April, 2022 and Muhammed and Dauda at Moko in Ofu LGA on March 3, 2023

“Other crimes committed by Bala and his gang were attack on troops of Nigerian Navy and dispossessed them of four m rifles at Alloma village on 4th March, 2022.