A senior police officer and four other personnel lost their lives on Saturday during a gun battle with bandits in Gurara Local Government Area in Niger State.

SP Mukhtar Abiodun, the Paiko Divisional Police Officer Mukhtar Sabiu was killed when he led his men to dislodge armed bandits who were sighted around Kwakuti-Dajigbe villages in Lambata preparing to attack some communities around Gurara Local Government Area.

“Combined teams of police from Gawu-Babangida and Paiko Divisions, military, and vigilante members were drafted to the scene,” police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun said in a statement.

“The hoodlums were engaged in a gun duel and repelled with scores of them neutralised, while others escaped with bullet injuries.

“Regrettably, DPO Paiko Division, Superintendent of Police (SP) Mukhtar Sabiu and four other police personnel from both divisions lost their lives during the gun duel.”

The spokesman said that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Ogundele Ayodeji, later led a reinforcement team to the scene and recovered the bodies of the deceased personnel.

Mr Ayodeji condoled with the families of the affected personnel, while reassuring the public that the police would not relent in their efforts to eliminate banditry and other forms of criminality in the state.

Similarly, police tactical teams and vigilante members on Friday at about 3:00 p.m. thwarted attempts by bandits to attack Chibani village market via Sarkin-Pawa, Munya local government area of the state.

Mr Abiodun said the hoodlums were successfully repelled without any incident, and normalcy restored in the area.

(NAN)