Robbers attack court, kill prison official

Ihima (Kogi) – Unidentified gunmen suspected to be members of a robbery gang whose member is standing trial have attacked the Ihima High Court in Kogi, killing a prison official.

The Media Officer of the State High Court, Mr Saqeeb Saeed in Ihima, Okehi Local Government Area on Thursday said that the attack took place on Wednesday.

He said the High Court Judge, Justice Moses Gwatana had sat and adjourned the case of kidnapping and armed robbery against the accused Abdulrazak Nasiru who was ordered to be remanded in Prison custody.

The accused was released to the official to take to the Okene Medium Security Prison in a official pick-up van of the Nigeria Prisons Service meant for that purpose.

Saeed said before they could take-off, the robbers numbering between 10 and 12, apparently lurking around a primary school near the court, stormed the court premises wielding dangerous weapons and shooting indiscriminately.

“They shot dead the warder whose name was not immediately known and released the accused while the court officials, litigants and helpless security agents alike, scampered for safety in the operation that lasted for about ten minutes,” he said.

The News Agency Nigeria (NAN) learnt  that although the judge escaped unhurt, his official KIA Sorento Jeep was sprayed with bullets but the Court Registrar, Mr Bakare Sunday, was not that lucky as he was shot in the ear.

Saeed said the body of the prisons official had been deposited at the Obangede General Hospital mortuary while the court registrar who had been admitted for bullet wounds would have his ear x-rayed on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the state High Court Chief Registrar, Mrs Comfort Toluwashe had lodged the complaint with the police, saying that the accused was initially involved in an armed robbery incident in which a man was kidnapped.(NAN)