3 police officers gunned down at dawn

Assailants killed three police officers on Saturday in Kogi as they launched an attack on Adavi Police Divisional headquarters in the early hours.

Commissioner of Police, Mr Edward Egbuka, confirmed the attack in a statement issued in Lokoja by police spokesman in Kogi, SP William Ovye-Aya.

He described the attack as callous and very painful.

Egbuka explained that the three officers were killed in a gun duel with the assailants who took the officers on duty at the Adavi Division by surprise.

“This early morning of Saturday, the Command received report of an unfortunate incident at Adavi Police Division, where some hoodlums attacked the station.

“They shot sporadically, but were repelled by our men and operatives of the Quick Response Unit who were on special operations at Adavi Local Government Area.

“Unfortunately, the Command lost three of its officers to the gun duel, while the hoodlums fled with gunshot wounds as they could not get access into the station.

“Consequently, a team of tactical operatives was deployed and it swiftly restored normalcy to the area.

“Operatives are trailing the hoodlums with a view to apprehending and bringing them to book,’’ Ovye-Aya quoted Egbuka as saying.

Egbuka called on the people of Adavi and adjoining communities to be on the lookout and report anybody seen with bullet wounds to the police or to any security outpost nearest to them.

The police commissioner sent his condolences to the families of the three fallen police officers, whom he said had done the police force proud.