The Benue Police Command has announced that bandits, disguised as buyers, killed one and injured nine persons at Abaji Market, in Katsina-ala LG area of the State, on Wednesday.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Catherine Anene, made the announcement in a statement she made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Makurdi, on Thursday.

The statement said that the bandits, who disguised themselves as buyers, came into the Market at about 6:30pm on Wednesday and started shooting sporadically.

“At about 6:30pm on Wednesday, while traders were closing from Abaji Market in Katsina-ala, bandits who disguise themselves as buyers started shooting sporadically and killed one person while nine others were injured.

“The joint operation of Police and other security agencies returned fire and repelled the bandits to the forest with gunshot injuries where they have been cordoned for search.”

She said the corpse of the deceased had been deposited at the Primary Healthcare Centre, Abaji, while the injured persons were receiving treatment at General Hospital Katsina-ala.

The statement further disclosed that the Command had deployed more patrol teams to the scene, to assist officers on ground with the cordon and search operation.