An attack by unidentified gunmen believed to be armed robbers left a police officer dead, over 70 persons missing and about 2000 persons displaced in Dogon-Gawa community in Takum Local Government Area of Taraba.

The gunmen stormed the community on Friday, razing about 30 houses, Sunday Punch reported. 

Citing a resident who witness the incident on Friday, Sunday PUNCH reported that the attack was coordinated by armed men in two Hilux vans. 
“I sat under a tree with some of my relations when suddenly we saw two white Toyota Hilux vans coming from Takum axis into the community,” Mr. James Orya, a resident of the community,  told Sunday PUNCH.

“There is a major road that passed through our community from Takum to Katsina-Ala and vehicles usually ply the road, so seeing the two Hilux vans was not strange until their occupants started firing gunshots at us. 

“About 2000 residents of the community have fled and most of them are taking refuge in the neighbouring Benue State. The attackers burnt over 30 houses, injured two persons and cut down economic trees during the raid on the community.”

Spokesman to the police in the state, David Misal, who confirmed the attack to Peoples Gazette on Sunday, said one police man was killed as police team exchange fire with the gunmen. 

Mr Misal said the gunmen were suspected armed robbers who waylaid commuters in the area. He noted that the gang had earlier exchanged gunfire with a mobile police unit in the axis.

“Yeah, it was actually an attack on some of our men who were on special duty in that area. As a result we lost one of our men,” Mr Misal said. “Yes that is true as you have seen in some national dailies.”