Three suspected bandits have reportedly been gunned down by soldiers at the Adaka suburb of Makurdi, Benue state, after engaging in a gun battle on Sunday night. The troops are members of the joint military spike operation codenamed Operation Whirl Stroke.
Findings indicate that the bandits, about 10 of them, stormed the community to rob at about 8pm. They reportedly shot at unsuspecting civilians who ran into them. Luckily they escaped and alerted members of the community when a distress call was put across to the military personnel who were on patrol around the area.
An eyewitness narrated the incident saying,
“In fact, if not for the prompt intervention of the military, something terrible could have happened. The military engaged the bandits in a heavy gun dwell and at the end, we saw them with three dead bodies.
“The bandits were armed with sophisticated weapons.
“We sincerely thank the Military personnel for their action and we are appealing for more deployment of security to our area to avert further attacks.
Major General Adeyemi Yekini, commander of OPWS, confirmed his patrol team had an encounter with some armed bandits around the Adaka community saying,
“Our troops are on top of the situation and will do everything possible with other security agencies on the ground to protect the people.”
