The Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) has claimed responsibility for the ambush on police operatives at their duty post near Ago, along the Igarra-Auchi Road in Edo State.
The sect disclosed this through its network: Amaq Agency, in the Arabic language where it noted that its foot soldiers attacked with machine guns.
“By granting success by God Almighty, the soldiers of the Caliphate attacked a checkpoint of the apostate Nigerian army, in the town of (Akoko) in the (Edo) region on last Thursday, with machine guns, which led to the killing of 3 (three) members and wounding of 4 (four) others, and praise be to God,” google translation of the Arabic message read.
The terrorists, strongly suspected to be a faction of the terrorist’s cell in Kogi, had attacked the officers on Thursday at their duty post — a checkpoint established to curb the activities of kidnappers and other criminal activities in the area.
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According to reports, police operatives upon receipt of the incident had reinforced the area where they found the lifeless bodies of some of the officers, and blood markings on the ground were traced into a bush that led to the hideout of the suspect.
“We saw blood markings on the ground into the bush and we trailed that blood stains to a hideout of the suspects where we met two of them with gunshot injuries, one had already died from the gunshots while the other was taken away by the police to the hospital.
“We recovered the four police rifles and additional two in the hideout where we met the assailants. Upon interrogation, the suspect said they are from Okenne in Kogi State but we don’t know their mission whether it is armed robbery or kidnapping they wanted to use the arms and ammunition for,” the head of the vigilante group in the area, Ibukun Dogo told newsmen.
When contacted, the state’s police spokesperson, Chidi Nwabuzor declined to comment on the situation.
“I am not permitted to talk on the matter, except I get permission from my superior,” he said.
When asked about the suspects that were arrested on the day of the incident, he said, “Investigation is ongoing”.