2 policemen, vigilantes killed in Niger

Two policemen and two members of a vigilante group were killed yesterday in a face-off in Allawa community, Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, Daily Trust on Sunday gathered.

The policemen, one Inspector Alfa Idris and a Sergeant, whose name was given as Joseph Peter, were attached to the Alawa police post.

Our correspondent learnt that seven youths were picked from the mosque in the community by the vigilantes to an unknown destination.

After waiting and searching for them for two weeks, the elders decided to petition the state police command over the matter, following which the Commissioner of Police, Alhjai Zubairu Muazu, ordered an investigation into the matter.

The command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Bala Elkana, told our correspondent that witnesses interrogated confirmed that the vigilante commander in the area led his men to effect the arrest in the mosque on the directive of one Lawal Kwali, an ex-leader of a vigilante group in Kaduna, who has since been declared wanted by the police for extra-judicial killing.

The police said natives had complained that many herders had disappeared after they were arrested for undisclosed offences by Kwali.

DSP Elkana said men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) unit, deployed to effect the arrest of the vigilante commander for questioning over the matter were ambushed and a shoot-out ensued.

He said the police Inspector was wounded during the face-off, and later died while the Sergeant was killed during an attack on the community police post shortly after the ambush.

Fleeing natives said two vigilantes were killed during the ambush, but Bala said the police were yet to confirm any casualty on the part of the vigilantes.