Bandits Kill Three Police Officers, Vigilante Leader In Taraba Gun Battle

Jalingo, Taraba State– Gunmen suspected to be bandits have killed three police officers and a local vigilante leader during a violent attack in Taraba State, according to the state Police Command.

The Taraba State Police Command confirmed the incident in a statement released on Thursday, describing the development as a tragic loss in the fight against criminal elements in the state.

The slain officers were identified as Corporal Raphael Danjuma, Constable Ebenezer Daniel, and Police Constable Samuel Bawa.

They were said to have died while responding to a security threat in the affected community.

According to the police, the officers came under heavy gunfire shortly after arriving at the scene, leading to an intense exchange of gunfire between the operatives and the suspected bandits.

“Upon arrival, the officers came under heavy gunfire from the attackers, leading to a fierce exchange. In the course of the operation, the police operatives engaged the bandits and successfully repelled the attack,” the police said in the statement.

The command added that Constable Bawa had initially been declared missing during the confrontation but his body was later discovered in a nearby bush during a search operation carried out by security personnel.

The attack also claimed the life of the 60-year-old chairman of the local vigilante group in Tordamisa Village, Nutsa Tyav. His body was found after the incident, authorities confirmed.

Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Betty Enepen Isokpan Otimenyin, expressed shock and sadness over the deaths.

She described the fallen officers and the vigilante leader as heroes who paid the ultimate price in the service of their communities and the nation.

The police command also assured residents that efforts were ongoing to track down those responsible for the attack and bring them to justice.