An operative of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT Police Command has been killed following a gun battle between police officers and suspected cultists in Bakassi Yimitu Village in the Apo-Waru axis of the nation's capital.
SP Josephine Adeh, Spokesperson of the FCT command confirmed this in a statement on Friday.
She said the operation was carried out by the Joint Task Force led by the Police, comprising local vigilantes and hunters on Wednesday this week.
According to her, while on patrol, the team encountered a gathering suspected to be that of cultists reportedly causing mayhem in the area.
"Upon sighting security personnel, they opened fire", she said.
The Police image maker confirmed that 19 suspects were arrested and detained at Waru Police Outstation, "while others escaped with various degrees of bodily injuries".
"Sadly, one Police officer and a local vigilante sustained serious injuries and were rushed to the hospital for medical attention," she added.
Shortly after the incident, police said the escaped cultists regrouped, mobilized, and launched an attack on the Waru Police Outstation in an attempt to free their detained accomplices.
The suspects vandalized three patrol Hilux vehicles, and damaged six privately owned cars within the premises.
"The miscreants were repelled. Reinforcements were swiftly deployed to the scene, and normalcy has since been restored", Josephine said.
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