It’s like Ibidun was in dreamland when news filtered in that her younger sister was among the eight cops and two civilians killed by daredevil robbers in Kogi State on June 4, 2020.

But reality of the situation sorrowfully manifested on Monday when the remains of 40-year-old Remilekun Adesanya were interred at a cemetery in their hometown, Ekinrin-Adde, in the Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, amid profound sobs and angst.

Remilekun, a warrant sergeant, was killed when the robbers invaded the Isanlu Divisional Police Headquarters, killing eight cops; three of whom were policewomen, before proceeding to rob a branch of a popular commercial bank in the sleepy town. Two other civilians lost their lives to the daylight bloodbath.

Isanlu is in the Yagba East Local Government Area of Kogi State. It is bordered by a rocky mangrove forest in the West and vast level plain towards the East. The major source of livelihood of the people is agriculture thus making food production the dwellers’ major industry.

Ibidun, who is also a policewoman based in Ekiti State, said she was at work when she heard of the incident.

In a sober voice worsened by tear-jerking recollections, she said,

I was at my station when I heard the news. This was someone who wasn’t sick but suddenly said to be dead. She was the most active woman in our family. Everybody in the family and town cried when they heard of her death because she was good-natured. She was my immediate younger sister.

Our father who died two years ago retired as a superintendent of police. We, four ladies in the family, decided to follow in his footsteps by joining the Force. We often spoke at least every two days. She had only a boy. Our last discussion was on her inspector rank which was on the way. I told her she would soon be rubbing shoulders with me and she laughed in her usual manner. She said there was a difference between old inspector and new inspector. We laughed heartily over it. We were expecting her promotion any moment before she was killed. Our father had two wives who bore five children each. From my mother’s side, with the death of Remi, I had lost two siblings remaining three of us. It’s only God that can help us.

She stated that the incident was so scary that some family members had advised her to quit the Force.

Ibidun added,

We trust in God to help us out. She had no premonition about her death. I nearly cried my eyes out when I heard the news. I will miss her so much. She was so nice that many people in the town who had an encounter with her were sad to hear of her death. She was so nice that if anyone approached her over any matter, she would ensure its quick resolution. She was a role model to many. She will be sorely missed. I know that someday we shall meet to part no more. Good night my wonderful dear sister.

Flavision gathered that one of the slain policewomen was a nursing mother identified as Charity Adekeye.

One of our correspondents learnt that the woman, described as easygoing and God-fearing, was married to a police officer who once served as an orderly to an ex-commissioner in the state.

The widower has been terribly heartbroken since the incident occurred. He posted about the occurrence on his Facebook page twice on the first and second day after the attack, with friends urging him to take heart and praying to God to cater to the young children Charity left behind.

In the first post, the bereaved announced his wife’s death in the incident, while the second post read thus,

My mummy, my twin sister; twins do things in common. You are the prophetess I know. If you told me about this battle that took you away from me, you know I don’t run from war, a war that took you away, I would rather die than lose you to cowards who can kill a helpless woman. They kill you. They took advantage of your simplicity, most likely for what salvation has done in your life. Who says you will ever give up without a fight?

One of those who commented on the post wrote,

It is well. Heaven will send an angel to you and the children. Please think less because of these children.

Searches on the Facebook page of Charity showed that her last activity was the posting of her baby’s photographs and offering of prayers for the baby two days before the deadly encounter with the robbers.

Bloody encounters

Twenty-two-year-old Rekiyat Yusuf was until her death a fresh graduate from police college. She was posted to the Isanlu station in May and yet to collect her first salary before she was brutally killed in her prime by the robbers.

A cousin to the deceased who preferred to be identified only as Stella, who operates a restaurant within the town, said she slept on a long bench in her shop when she was jolted from sleep at 3.45 pm by bullet sounds.

She stated,

The effect of a pill I took the previous night made me fall asleep and then I started hearing of gunshots in what appeared to be a dream. At first, I thought it was fireworks. I rose up in my oblivious state and saw a man approaching my shop. I started shivering because the person wore a mask. He spoke in Pidgin English to me, ordering me to run as fast as I could. I came out of the shop and started walking towards the palace. I could not even run. I just walked briskly away. That was when I discovered that those in the market behind my shop had all run away. I guessed I slept so deeply. It was later that I recalled that the masked man was one of the robbers. The place was close to the attack area.

She said when everywhere was calm and she returned to her shop, she saw that her purse which dropped on the floor beside her shop when she walked away was picked and thrown into her shop by the masked man. Stella added that the two doors leading to her shop were fastened and the man took nothing away from there.

But Stella was to later discover that despite the pleasant attitude of the masked man to her, they had earlier killed her cousin, Rekiyat, when they attacked the police station.

She noted that Rekiyat’s father is also a police officer and serving in one of the northern states. Stella said,

Rekiyat’s parents have remained inconsolable since the incident occurred. She had yet to collect her first salary when she was killed.

She also said the deceased who was the first of four children of her parents was buried last Sunday in accordance with Islamic rites. She described Rekiyat as a bright and lovely young lady whose death worried the family.

The station’s DPO, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, Tajudeen Adegbola, was also killed by the robbers.

The late Adegbola, who it was learnt had only two months to go on retirement, was described as a pleasant officer by some of the inhabitants who spoke to Saturday PUNCH. They noted that he always advised those granted bail to refrain from things that would return them to the station.

A commercial bus driver identified only as Kolade could not hide his emotions while describing how nice the deceased was. He narrated to one of our correspondents how Adegbola helped him when he had a brush with the law sometime last year.

The DPO was said to be advising a suspect who was about to be released when the robbers struck. It was gathered that he attempted to escape through the back door when he saw the robbers but it was too late as bullets hit his back.

However, two officers were said to have escaped the brutal attack: the Area Commander, Assistant Commissioner, Thomas Okoye, who escaped through the back door into the bush and Inspector Ola Lewu, who alighted from the patrol van to buy food for himself and colleagues shortly before the patrol van entered the station. He was said to have fled on hearing the gunshots.

Flavision further learnt that after attacking the police station, the robbers ordered the driver of the police patrol van, whom they had earlier spared, to drive them to the commercial bank located one-kilometre away and used dynamites to destroy the entrance to gain access.

The robbers were said to be unable to gain access to the strong room as the branch manager reportedly went to Lokoja, the state capital, that day and went with the keys. It was gathered that they only made away with available cash on the counter.

After the operation, they were said to have ordered the police van driver to drive them through a bush path to the outskirts of the town and later ordered him to flee but one of them shot him dead as he moved.

Two civilians lost their lives to the attack; one died in stray bullets including a commercial motorcycle rider said to have been warned of an ongoing robbery operation but insisted on checking his family safety along the road.

One of our correspondents who visited the town on Monday observed that though normalcy was gradually retuning to the town, residents had yet to put the incident behind them. However, activities have returned to the police station located opposite the GYB Multi-Purpose Hall. None of the officers met on duty was ready to speak with our correspondent.

Our correspondent observed on Tuesday that the Isanlu branch of the attacked commercial bank located opposite the Oba Market is currently under lock and key. One of the workers was said to have been hit during the attack and currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital.

We’ve never experienced such incident – Monarch

We have never had this kind of experience in the past. This town is known for its peaceful nature, with no record of violence of any form. Last Thursday’s robbery incident came as a shock to us in Isanlu,

said the Agbana of Isanlu, Oba Moses Etombi.

Oba Etombi said he was at the palace attending to some cases when he started hearing what looked like sounds of fireworks and later became worried when the sounds persisted.

He said,

Later, palace guards came to inform me that the branch of a commercial bank located a stone’s throw from the palace was under attack by gunmen. I immediately called the Divisional Police Officer, Tajudeen Adegbola, but the calls rang out. I later got to know that the robbers had earlier visited the police station and killed the DPO.

The monarch said he had been holding meetings with members of the community and security agencies to fashion out ways of improving the security architecture of the area. He noted that he had assured the people that they wouldn’t be left alone during the trying period.

He commended the Yahaya Bello­-led administration for promptly responding to the incident by sending a delegation to the area and approving some money towards the burial expenses of the victims.

The royal father urged the people not to despair or be discouraged, noting that efforts were in ongoing to prevent a reoccurrence.

He said he received the assurance of the state governor and security agencies that the state’s security architecture would be overhauled to prevent a repeat of the incident.

We’ll arrest the killers – Police

The state police Spokesperson, Deputy Superintendent of Police, William Aya, said the command was closing in on the perpetrators of the brutal act.

We are closing in on them. I can assure you. We will get them,

Aya told one of our correspondents in Lokoja on Tuesday.

He added,

The command lost the DPO, three members of the state Criminal Investigation Department and three women to the gruesome attack; one of whom was a nursing mother and another young newly recruited posted to the station last month, Rekiyat Yusuf. The robbers also traced the policeman attached to the bank, who was not visible on the bank premises as the rules prescribe, to where he sat and shot him at close range.

Three of the slain officers were on a special assignment, patrolling the area and only returned to the station to rest with their arms and ammunition still in their patrol van when the robbers struck.

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.