Armed bandits on Wednesday attacked Iluke community in the Bunu district of Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
Gatekeepers News reports that the bandits disrupted an ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and killing three people, including a school vice principal and a six-year-old boy.
The attackers, said to have arrived on about 40 motorcycles, stormed the area with the suspected intention of abducting students and residents. The assault caused panic among candidates writing their WAEC examination at Government Secondary School, Iluke.
Among those killed was Gani Anifowose, Vice Principal of Government Secondary School, Iluke. A six-year-old child and another resident also lost their lives during the attack. Community members initially feared that several students had been kidnapped after the examination was disrupted.
The Kogi State Police Command said it received distress calls around 10 a.m. and immediately deployed a joint security team comprising police officers, tactical units, soldiers, local vigilantes, and personnel of the Police Mobile Force. Security operatives engaged the gunmen in a fierce gun battle, forcing them to flee into nearby forests.
Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, said the attackers, some of whom reportedly disguised themselves in military uniforms, attempted to move students into the bush before security forces intervened.
He added that all affected students were rescued unharmed and returned safely to their families. One of the attackers was reportedly killed during the operation, while others escaped with injuries.
The state government condemned the attack and expressed condolences to the families of the victims, while assuring residents that security agencies had launched a manhunt for the fleeing assailants.
The incident comes amid growing concerns over insecurity in parts of Kabba-Bunu, where several kidnapping and banditry attacks have been recorded in recent weeks.
