By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja.
Kogi State Command of the Nigeria Police has confirmed invasion of gunmen on Agojeju-Odo community in Omala Local Government Area killing more than 19 persons and setting ablaze over 50 houses.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relation Officer of Kogi State Police Command William Aya said the yet to be identified gunmen attacked Agojeju-Odo community in Omala LGA.
Aya said that information from the Divisional Police Officer of the Local Government revealed that 19 persons were killed while many of the community members sustained various degrees of injury from the attack.
He said that the Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Command, CP Bethrand Onuoha had deployed more policemen to the communities to reinforce security in the area.
He assured that the perpetrators of the heinous act would be hunted down and apprehended.
The locals however confirmed on Friday afternoon that the casualty figure had risen to 34 deaths as more corpses were discovered and retrieved from the bushes.
The gunmen, according to some members of the community who preferred anonymity also destroyed farm produce.
The community appealed to Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo and Security Agencies to come to their aid by deploying more security personnel to the area.
They expressed concern that the Police in the Local Government Area had been overwhelmed and overpowered by the attackers. (Ends)