By; BALA B. BITRUS, Minna
Normalcy amidst suspense is gradually returning to Lemu, the headquarters of Gbako Local Government Area of Niger, the home State of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris, following a morning assault by a band of unknown armed men who swooped on the community taking their attack to the Divisional Police Station in the area ostensibly to harvest weapons from the station’s armoury.
A band of unknown gunmen had on Tuesday swooped on the Divisional Police Station in Lemu, the headquarters of Gbako council area of Niger state and chased out the Police at the station and wrecked havoc on the station before local hunters and men of the local vigilante group rose to the occasion and launched counter offensives and chased out the bandits.
Report streaming from the area, though sketchy, said the unknown gunmen numbering about ten had stormed the Divisional Police Station armed with all manner of weapons including swords, bows and arrows, machetes, knives and guns and forcefully entered the unsecured Divisional Police Station wielding their weapons at will forcing the Police men on duty to scurry out of the station.
As at the time of filing this report, the council Chairman, John Taman had after assessment of the areas, imposed a dusk to dawn curfew in the area to forestall further break down of law and order even as the community have risen in defense to fight back the invaders who were suspected to be hibernating within the community.
The curfew is from 7:00pm to 6:00am and would be in place till further notice. The council Chairman who visited the scene of the incident, sympathised with the community and the villagers who were at the receiving end of the marauders.
The development has forced the State Command of the Nigeria Police, Paul Dibal Yakadi to travel to the area to assess the situation and ordered the reinforcement of men of the command to safeguard lives and properties.
The Commissioner of Police assured that his men were on top of the situation even as he urged citizens in the area remain law abiding just as he advised them to go about their normal businesses.
He confirmed that men of the state Police command were able to repel the invading armed men but refused to confirm if there were any casualties or theft of any of the weaponry of the Police during the attack.
The Police Commissioner assured that the Police was working round the clock to fish out those behind the culprits just as he urged the community to assist the Police in identifying any suspicious character within their midst.
