Ten
policemen who survived Tuesday’s onslaught from the Ombatse militia group in
Nasarawa State have attributed their survival to luck.
Narrating their escape, one of the police officers
who spoke on behalf of nine other survivors (names withheld) said their
survival was only by the grace of God as they were outnumbered and overpowered
by the militiamen. He also disclosed that the militiamen had prior knowledge of
their coming and laid siege on the narrow road leading to the village, Alakyo,
where they were supposed to effect the arrest of their leader and recover arms
said to be in his possession.
He said, “The road is narrow and they allowed us
into their midst before opening fire on us at close range.” Efforts to return
fire and scare them into hiding ware futile as bullets were not penetrating
them, he said.
The militiamen, dressed in black shirts and caps,
kept approaching amidst heavy gunfire, which forced their Hilux van, the last
van on the convoy, to turn back. “Due to the nature of the road and ensuing gun
duel, our men could not turn back and 10 of us in our van were able to
manoeuvre our way out but not without suffering bullet wounds,” he said.
The recuperating officer added that the driver of
their van was shot on the leg but, luckily enough, one of them with him in
front could drive and immediately took over. Many of the officers took to the
bush but hugely outnumbered by the militiamen who knew the terrain better, they
were pursued and killed.
“As soon as they killed an officer, his rifle was
taken off him.”
Meanwhile, the pervading atmosphere in Lafia, the
Nasarawa State capital, is that of fear, anxiety and hope as the families of
the slain policemen converged on the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH) to
identify their loved ones most of whom had been burnt beyond recognition.
source: HOPE FOR NIGERIA
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