A 26 year – old member of the vigilante, Awwal Mohammed, has been shot dead in a shootout with kidnappers near Agbudu community in Koton-Karfe Local Government Council of Kogi state.
A member of vigilante, who preferred anonymity confirmed the incident, saying it happened on Tuesday night after vigilante members mobilised into the forest near Agbudu community to dislodged the kidnappers from their camp.
He said it was on arrival at the community near the kidnappers camp, when the vigilante members decided to take positions and engage the kidnappers in shoot out.
According to him, it was on the process of exchange of gun fire when bullet hit one of the vigilante on the abdomen and died on the spot.
“Actually, it was when the vigilante arrived at the village on Tuesday night while it is rainy at that time and decided to camp some where, until after the rain has subsided when they came out where they discovered the kidnappers camp,” he said.
He added ”So, shortly after the rain, the vigilante now came out to engage them, and without knowing one of the kidnappers was coming from behind in which he opened fire and shot one of the vigilante dead,” he said.
He said the Koton-Karfe local government council chairman, Alhaji Isah Abdulkarim, has been informed about the incident.
NewsSpecng learnt that the remains of the vigilante, who was a native of neigboring Tanahu village has been buried according to Islamic rites.
The spokesman of the Kogi state police command ASP Williams Ovye Aya, was yet to pick calls or reply to text message to confirm the incident.