Gunmen Kidnap Two Expatriates, Kill Two Policemen in Kogi

By Emma Ella

Two expatriates working on the Obajana-Oshokoshoko road construction in Kogi State have been kidnapped by some suspected kidnappers as two police officers attached to them were also killed.

It was on Tuesday reliably gathered from an eye witness account who narrowly escaped from the scene of the action that the incident occurred last Monday, saying the gunmen were suspected to be kidnappers.

 According to the source, the incident happened at about 7p.m. last Monday, adding that the gunmen numbering about 15, fully armed with AK47, emerged from the bush.

  He stated that while the foreign national identified as Jose Machada was inspecting an ongoing road construction, the Obajana-Kabba project being handled by AG Dangote Company Limited, the gunmen open fire which led to gun battled between the police and the suspected kidnappers.

The gunmen were said to have engaged the policemen on guard at the construction site in a gun duel, killing one of them identified as Sgt Gini John on the spot while the second policeman, Inspector Ezekiel Negedu, who was also shot, died later at the hospital.

It was further gathered that the gunmen kidnapped the expatriate engineer and fled into the bush with him.

However, the state Police Public Relation Officer, Mr. William Aya, who confirmed the incident, said unknown gunmen numbering about 15 engaged his men on duty at a construction site on the Obajana-Oshokoshoko road in a gun battle.

 He added that two of them died in the process while one of the expatriate was kidnapped in the process.

The state police spokesman said the Commissioner of Police immediately directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in charge of operations and other operatives to move to the bushes for possible rescue of the abducted expatriate.

 Aya said the state police commissioner has personally visited the scene of the incident, assuring all involved that all efforts were being made to rescue the kidnapped expatriate.