Men of the underworld invaded Kabba, a town in Kogi State, last Saturday and left two police officers dead, just as they razed the divisional police station and attacked one of the banks in the town, writes YEKINI JIMOH.Last week Saturday,there was securitybreach in Kogi State as men of the underworld, numbering 10 stormed Kabba, attacked the town's Divisional Police Station and killed two policemen, after which they set the station ablaze.The bandits, who were said to have come in two vehicles and two power bikes, also attacked the First Bank located in the town where they fired several dynamites at the bank's vault, but they could not gain access before they were repelled by police rescue team sent from Okene by the state police commissioner, Mr. Abaka Sanga.According to Saturday Tribune findings, there was exchange of fire between the police and the robbers which left the tires of police Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) deflated.A visit to Kabba Divisional Police Station which also houses the office of the Area Commander showed wanton destruction left by the bandits.The attacks, both at the divisional police station and the banks appeared massive such that people in Kabba thought the Boko Haram had stormed the town. Sporadic shooting was heard during the operation which lasted several minutes, including what were thought to be bomb blasts.The walls of the First Bank that is close to the police station were riddled with bullets, even as the bank's vault was equally attacked with several dynamites, which left it badly damaged. However, in spite of that, the robbers were unable to gain access to the vault before they were chased away by the police team.This particular bank and one other, located near the divisional police station have been prone to robbery incidents in recent past, according to reports.Saturday Tribune gathered that the robbers invaded the divisional police station at about 1a.m on Saturday, bombed the station, killed two police officers on duty and looted the armoury.Eyew-itnesses added that the robbers arrived on two vehicles and two power bikes, adding that they imme-diately started shooting spora-dically, just as they threw explosives at the building which led to the burning of the station.Speaking on the incident, the Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abaka Sanga, who arrived Kabba to assess the situation, told newsmen that immediately he was alerted of the incident, he mobilised his anti riot men in Okene to go with the APC tank for the operation.According to him, while entering Kabba, the police rescue team met the robbers who opened fire on them and deflated the tires of the APC tank before they escaped. However, he expressed the hope that the bandit would soon be arrested.The police boss declared that it was not Boko Haram sect that struck, but 'desperate armed robbers,' saying preliminary investigations revealed that a large sum of money was deposited in the bank the previous day for the payment of salaries of teachers and council workers.The police boss refused to give the names of the victims, but identified their ranks as an inspector and a corporal.Meanwhile, the Obaro of Kabba, Oba Michael Olobayo, who was on hand to receive the police commissioner expressed shock over the act and said the incident was tragic even as he urged the people to be vigilant.He, however, commended the police commissioner for his immediate response and commiserated with the families of the police officers who lost their lives.One Corporal Olatunji Opeyemi, who managed to escape the scene with bullets wounds, also confirmed the robbery attacks.
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