Ben Adaji Jalingo
The Taraba State Police Command has confirmed the killing of three of its personnel and a vigilante member during an attack by suspected bandits in Tor Damisa village, Donga Local Government Area of the state.
The police Public Relations Officer, ASP Victor Mshelizah, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, said the incident followed a distress call from a resident, Zaki Orbanga, who reported an attack on Tse Kwe Village in Tor Damisa, Akate Ward on Wednesday night.
He disclosed that a team of police officers led by the Donga Divisional Police Officer (DPO) alongside special forces operatives, were swiftly deployed to the area to forestall the attack.
“On arrival, the suspected armed bandits opened fire on the team, leading to a fierce exchange of gunfire. The operatives responded swiftly and repelled the attackers,” the statement said.
The command, however, said three officers — Corporal Raphael Danjuma, Police Constable Ebenezer Daniel, and Police Constable Samuel Bawa — lost their lives during the encounter.
Mshelizah said Bawa was initially declared missing but his body was later recovered in a nearby bush after a search operation.
He added that the corpse of one Nutsa Tyav, a 60-year-old chairman of the vigilante group in Tor damisa Village, was also recovered after the attack.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Betty Enekpen Isokpan Otimenyin, expressed sadness over the incident and condoled with the families of the deceased.
The police said security had been reinforced in the area, with ongoing efforts to track down and arrest the perpetrators.
Residents were urged to remain calm and provide useful information to security agencies.
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