A police officer has been killed while another security operative sustained serious injuries after unidentified gunmen attacked a security checkpoint along the Otukpo–Ohimini road in Benue State.
Naijaonpoint reports that the incident occurred around midnight on Thursday when the gunmen opened fire on personnel of the Operation Zenda Joint Task Force (JTF) manning the checkpoint.
According to a source in the area who spoke with Vanguard, the attackers engaged the security operatives in a heavy exchange of gunfire.
The source identified the victims as Inspector Akpan Ogbole of the Nigeria Police Force and Abechi Oche of the Nigeria Forest and Hunters Services.
“The armed men and the security personnel engaged in a fierce gun duel that left the two officers critically injured,” the source said.
The attackers were said to have carted away an AK-47 rifle belonging to the police and a pump-action gun assigned to the Forest and Hunters Services.
Both injured officers were rushed to Otukpo General Hospital. Inspector Ogbole was confirmed dead, while Oche was stabilised after initially being presumed dead.
A relative of the Forest and Hunters Services officer told journalists that he was responding well to treatment.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Benue, Udeme Edet, confirmed the incident, saying investigations had commenced into the attack.
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