Over six civilians were killed in the Akpanya community in Igala Mela /Odolu Local Government Area in Kogi State when street urchins suspected to be from a neighbouring state invaded the community.
According to an eyewitness, the incident happened on Sunday afternoon in the Akpanya community located at the boundary of Kogi and Enugu states.
The witness said that the hoodlums, numbering more than 30 came in buses and shot sporadically in the town, making residents scamper for safety.
News Band gathered that no sooner had the hoodlums entered the community than the security agents, including the vigilantes advanced and confronted them in a gun duel.
The melee that followed led to the death of six people, among whom were members of the invading hoodlums.
The locals stated that the hoodlums managed to carry away two dead bodies of their members while retreating in a hurry to their state.
In its reaction, the Kogi State government stated that hoodlums coming from other states to terrorise the Akpanya community had crossed the red line and would be confronted with heavy hands of the state.
Commodore Jerry Omodara (rtd), the Security Adviser to Governor Yahaya Bello, who confirmed the incident, said the combined forces of security agents and the local vigilantes repelled the attack of the hoodlums from the neighbouring state.
He said Governor Bello had directed a total overhaul of the security of the area to ward off the future attacks of the outlawed group, which took delight in terrorising the people of Kogi at that flank.
