Officers of the Nigeria Police Force in collaboration with the vigilante group in Taraba State have killed five bandits terrorizing some parts of the state.

This follows the invasion of Komi village in Ardo-Kola Local Government Area of the state by the kidnappers a night before, abducting 4 villagers.

This prompted the vigilante group of the village to alert the police who joined forces to battle the hoodlums.

The state Commissioner of Police, David Iloyonomon, disclosed this to Channels Television via a telephone interview.

According to him, the kidnappers ambushed the security operatives when they were chased to rescue the four kidnap victims but due to superior firepower they fled.

He insisted that when the hot chase intensified, the kidnappers abandoned two of their victims and proceeded deeper into the bush.

The police boss revealed that a change in strategy by the security operatives further led to the rescue of the two other victims.

?At the end of the encounter, 5 of the kidnappers were killed and 4 of the victims rescued,? Iloyonomon said.

?The last two were beaten by the kidnappers and sustained varying degrees of injuries and were taken to a health facility in Iware village and are responding to treatment.

One of the killed kidnappers, according to the police commissioner was once arrested and charged to court, went back to kidnapping after being released and luck ran against him.

?We will not relent in our efforts to rid the state of kidnapping and other crimes because we have changed our strategies to ensure that kidnappers do not have a filled day in Taraba.

?We rely on intelligence from various security agencies which assists greatly in combating crime in the state,? he said.

The Commissioner said he has embarked on working visits to various divisions located in the local councils to instill synergy between the police, professional hunters and vigilante group to ensure professionalism in the discharge of duties.

?I have recently embarked on working visits to local government areas and various police divisional offices and have directed that police officers in their respective domains should coordinate the activities of vigilante officers to enable them work within the ambit of the rules of engagement and the rule of law towards the security of lives and property,? he said.

He believes that the collaboration is yielding more effective results because his watchword since assumption is that the vigilante group and the professional hunters are integral parts of security apparatus and they have been supportive of police activities. (Courtesy, excluding headline, Channels TV)

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