By Correspondent in Minna
Nemesis caught up with some suspected gunmen in Niger state on Sunday as vigilantes in Fapo, Ebbo and Gulu communities Lapai Local Government Area of the state faced them in a firece battle, killing four and arresting 2 of the gang.
The Reporters correspondent reports that the happened at about 11a.m when some of the people of the affected communities had gone to church and others pursuing different ends meet.
Eye witness account told the online publication that the gunmen, mostly youths of under 20 years and dangling sophisticated weapons, emerged from the nearby bush and started shooting sporadically into the air.
Our correspondent learnt that immediately the suspects stormed the two villages with sophisticated weapons, they sent panic into the people but some residents surmoned the courage to quickly alert the local vigilantes who responded by confronting the gunmen in a battle to finish.
“Some of our people had gone to the church and at about eleven, we started hearing gun shots coming from a particular area along one of the thick forests. We quickly mobilised and with the combined efforts of our people and the vigilante, challenged the gun men.
“Though it was very difficult and risky, by the mercy of Allah, we managed to bring down five of them and we followed the remaining ones as they dissapeared throgh the same way they came,”he said.
According to him, the entire Gulu community was thrown into pandemonium in an atmosphere resemblance war as members of vigilante exchanged fire with bandits terrorising Gulu, Fapo, down to Ebbo community,thus making life difficult for our people.
The source, who spoke to our correspondent on phone said, “After over an hour battle, four of the bandits were killed, two arrested while others are now with the police. May Allah continue to expose them, wherever they are and may they continue to meet their waterloo,”he added.
Efforts to get the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Niger for the Police Command in the state, Wasiu Abiodun to react to the story,as usual, proved abortive as at the time of this report.
His phone numbers were indicating, ‘unreacheable’ when tried several times by our correspondent