By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu, Lokoja
Two persons have been killed while another sustained gunshot injuries after suspected armed robbers attacked Ibado-Akpacha community in Omala Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The incident, which occurred late Tuesday and lasted into the early hours of Wednesday, threw the agrarian community into panic as the gunmen reportedly looted shops and homes at gunpoint.
Residents said the victims were local coal miners who had relocated to the area about two years ago to engage in mining activities.
“They broke into people’s houses, collected money and valuables at gunpoint, and also looted shops at the village junction, carting away consumables and assorted goods,” a resident, Enemali Ocholi, told Daily Trust.
Ocholi added that the attackers operated for several hours without resistance from either the police or local vigilantes.
“The gunshots were so deafening that nobody could come out. Many residents fled into the bush for safety and only returned at daybreak to discover the bodies of the victims,” he said.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Kogi State Command, CSP William Ovye Aya, described it as a case of armed robbery and homicide.
He said the hoodlums invaded the community and robbed residents, adding that two victims were later confirmed dead at the hospital.
“The hoodlums went to a house and robbed an occupant of some money before proceeding to the shop of one Abubakar Yusuf, where they carted away 20 Android and 200 button phones,” Aya said.
He added that the state Commissioner of Police had ordered a full-scale investigation, with the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Investigation) leading the probe to track down the assailants.