Operatives of Ogun state police command on Tuesday killed two bandits in a fierce gun battle at Saala Orile forest, where the bandits were attacking some Fulani herders.
The bandits were killed following a distress call received by policemen attached to Ayetoro division, that a group of bandits were attacking some Fulani herdsmen at Isaala Orile forest.
The spokesman of the police command in Ogun State, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, made this known on Wednesday.
He said upon the distress call, the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, Ayetoro, CSP Bernard Ediogboyan, quickly led his men and operatives of Joint security Intervention Squad, JSIS, to the scene.
On sighting the policemen, he said, the bandits opened fire on them and the policemen replied fire for fire.
At the end of the encounter which he said lasted about twenty minutes, two amongst the bandits were shot dead while others escaped with varying degrees of gunshot injuries.
He said regrettably, an inspector of police, by name Omolayo Olajide lost his life during the gun duel.
Recovered from the criminals Oyeyemi said, were three locally made guns, sixteen live cartridges, assorted criminal charms, one cutlass, one small phone and one unregistered Bajaj motorcycle.
He said meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Bankole, who expressed sadness over the death of the police officer while fighting the bandits had directed that the escaped members of the gang must be hunted for and brought to justice.
The CP, the spokesman said, also commiserated with the family of the late inspector and assured them that his death would not be in vain.
