A notorious criminal, Kabir Bala who has been on Police radar has been killed by a Joint Security Team in Kogi State.
Bala had earlier been granted pardon, in October 2018, in a prerogative of mercy was also linked to the death of the woman leader of the Peoples Democratic Party, Salome Abu.
Okwo as Bala was known in his native Ejule, Ofu local government area, reportedly, remained an unrepentant criminal with lots of atrocities traced to him, including dealing in illegal arms, kidnappings and killings in the state.
The state Commissioner of Police, Akeem Yusuf while addressing newsmen on Thursday, explained that Bala on Wednesday met his waterloo at Ejule, in the Ofu Local Government Area of the state.
He said, ”Several cases had been traced to him like the burning alive of Mrs Salome Abu, a PDP woman leader in Olu LGA, in her residence on November 2015, at Ochadamu, as well as the killing of two gala youths, Umoru Abeh and Unerwu Sule on April 20, 2022, at Ejule.
“Bala also killed five Fulani herders including Ibrahim, Haruna and Shuaibu Wang on Alloma Road, in the Ofu LGA in April 2022, and Muhammed and Dauda on March 3, 2023.”
Other crimes committed by Kabir Bala and his gang, according to the Commissioner of Police include; an attack on troops of the Nigerian Navy and dispossessing them of four rifles at the Alloma village on March 4, 2022, stressing that the firearms were later returned to the Navy following a high-powered intervention.
”Attack on Elisha Aya, a pastor and founder of the Kingdom Faith Assembly, Ejule, on March 18, 2022, who later paid N1m to Bala as a levy for establishing a church.
”Invasion of Egane Fulani settlement; burning of 213 huts; rustled 122 cows on December 25, 2022, and assault on the Lord’s Chosen Church, Ejule, on January 29, 2023, for disturbing his hotel with their service, during which, a worshipper, Joy Abuh, sustained a gunshot injury on her left hand.
The Commissioner of Police stated that from May 5 to 28, 2023, Bala was also responsible for seven kidnappings along Itobe-Anyigba Highway.
He disclosed that based on the above facts, the decision was reached at the state security council meeting held on June 20, 2023, for the state pardon granted to Bala in 2018 to be revoked immediately while security agencies charged to go after him and arrest him immediately for prosecution alongside known accomplices.
He said on June 22, 2023, around 04.30am, Kabir Bala and his gang members, on sighting the joint security team, opened fire and shot sporadically. The team engaged the hoodlums and Kabir Bala was neutralised in the process while other members of his gang escaped with varying degrees of injury.
Items recovered from Bala’s premises include an AK 47 rifle with three fully loaded magazines, six locally-fabricated weapons and two phones and charms.
